198 THE OLD AND REMARKABLE 



tree appears to be coeval with the house. It is probably the 

 oldest and largest walnut tree in Scotland, and is evidently on 

 the decay, but whether this proceeds from accident or from age 

 it is uncertain." Gilpin, in 1791, in noticing this tree (but 

 without reference to its girth at that date), says, " there are many 

 walnut trees of a size, equal if not superior to that of this tree. ' 

 From recent inquiries made for the purposes of this paper, — and 

 seeing it is not mentioned in the Highland Society's Catalogue 

 of Old and Remarkable Trees, collected in 1863, — we find, and 

 are glad to state that the old veteran is still alive, and in con- 

 siderable vigour. It now measures at 4 feet from the ground 

 23 feet in circumference. It is unfortunately shoru of much of 

 its grandeur, from having lost some of its largest limbs, but still 

 evinces considerable vitality. 



Of the more recently collected statistics of the walnut in 

 Scotland, we may recapitulate those of the Highland Society's 

 list, which we have been able to trace, before proceeding to 

 consider and describe existing notable specimens at the present 

 day, given in the appendix to this paper, and not hitherto 

 recorded. The number we have been able to tabulate of trees 

 in Scotland at the present day in the appendix is 39, — while 

 those given, and many of them of smaller dimensions, in the 

 returns collected in 1863, number only 13. The venerable 

 tree which is recorded as growing at Eccles, Dumfriesshire, 

 and which in 1863 girthed 22 feet at the base and 13 feet at 12 

 feet from the ground, is now no more, having been blown down 

 in a gale a few years ago. The old walnut recorded in 1863, 

 " in a vigorous condition," growing near the mansion house of 

 Belton, and then 65 feet high, and girthing at 5 feet from the 

 ground 15 feet 4 inches and at 7 feet 16 feet 8 inches, was 

 measured in 1880, and found to be at 5 feet from the ground 

 16 feet 1 inch, and although the foliage was healthy, the tree 

 had evidently ceased to grow, many branches giving symp- 

 toms of decay. The severe winter of 1880-81 proved too much 

 for this hoary veteran, and he died its victim, and was taken 

 down last year. lb has not been found possible to identify 

 precisely any of the other specimens given in the catalogue of 

 1863, or of those in Loudon's scanty list made up in 1834. 



Coming now to the descriptions of the old walnuts tabulated 

 in the appendix to this report, we notice first, the old tree still 

 growing, but in a very decaying condition, at Flowerdale, 

 Ross-shire. It still exhibits the remains of a fine tree for 

 that latitude, and considering the situation it occupies. It 

 girths 9 feet 5 inches at 1 foot from the ground, and 8 feet 4 

 inches at 5 feet, and is now 55 feet in height. It stands in 

 front of the house of Flowerdale, in a sheltered glen only about 

 a quarter of a mile from the sea, and about from 30 to 40 



