58 ON THE OLD AND EEMARKABLE 



feet. At 3 feet from the ground the branches begin to widen out 

 from the trunk before parting, so that any measurement taken 

 higher up would be deceptive. The tree still appears vigorous 

 in its old age, though long ago it seems to have lost one or two 

 large limbs, and the scars thereby produced are carefully filled 

 up with plaster. Nothing is known of the exact age of this tree, 

 the number of centuries attributed to it varying with the degree 

 of veneration with which different visitors regard it. Another 

 Spanish chestnut also existed in the neighbourhood of the ruins 

 of this venerable abbey, somewhat further south than the site of 

 the one just described, and although much smaller, apparently of 

 about the same age and antiquity. 



On the island of Inchmahome, on the lake of Monteith in 

 Stirlingshire, near the ruins of the old priory, there are some fine 

 old Spanish chestnuts still growing in vigour; while several felled 

 sj)ecimens may be seen of immense size, and whose bark-stripped 

 trunks and hollow butts serve as fireplaces for the pic-nics of 

 tourists. These large trunks were said to have been felled many 

 years ago, but were allowed to lie on the island to decay, as the 

 value of the timber was not considered likely to repay the cost of 

 transport and removal. Were these decaying trunks cut fresh 

 across, so that the annular rings might be carefully counted, the 

 age of the survivors might be ascertained, and an approximation 

 made to the age of the Balmerino, Culross, and other abbey trees. 

 There is now the probability that this will be done, for, by the 

 kind permission of His Grace the Duke of Montrose, who is the 

 proprietor of Inchmahome, Sir Robert Christison has undertaken 

 to have sectional diagrams of the rings made for the investiga- 

 tion. There has evidently been a line of large walnut trees and 

 Spanish chestnuts extending across the garden ground at the 

 western gable of the priory. Many other curious old trees, such 

 as box-tree, 20 feet high, and 3 feet in girth ; oak, ash, thorn, 

 hazel, walnut and sycamore of great size, are also growing on this 

 island, but are in a very neglected condition, and deserve more 

 respect, on account of their venerable and historical antiquity. 

 The following are the measurements of these Inchmahome 

 Spanish chestnuts, made in 1876 : — 



Immediately outside of and to the left of western gateway of 

 priory, and forming the companion " sentinel " tree of gateway to 

 a fine old walnut, is Ko. 1, 85 feet in height, — 19 feet 10 inches 

 at 1 foot, 16 feet 10 inches at 3 feet, and 16 feet 6 inches at 6 

 feet from the ground. This tree has a good bole, but is decaying ; 

 its principal limb at 30 feet from the ground has been recently 

 torn away by the gales. 



No. 2, to the south-west of No. 1, is 70 feet high, — 15 feet 10 

 inches at 1 foot, 14 feet 9 inches at 3 feet, and 14 feet 2 inches 

 at 6 feet from the ground. This tree is also decaying, and 



