WALNUT TKEES IN SCOTLAND. 201 



is said to have resided for a time on this island ; and part of the 

 old garden, the quaint walks of which are still traceable, with 

 their boxwood edgings now grown into trees 20 feet high, 

 and fully 3 feet in girth, still bears the name of " Queen 

 Mary's bower," and " Queen Mary's garden." The walnut tree 

 referred to in this site is still sound to all appearance, and its 

 foliage looks quite healthy, while it fruits quite freely every year ; 

 but from a crevice near the root on the east side, it is " oozing " 

 slightly, as old walnuts frequently do, indicating incipient 

 internal decay. 



The finest walnuts in Fife are to be found at Otterstone, near 

 Aberdour ; and at Balbougie, on the Fordell estate, near Inver- 

 keithing, there is a very handsome specimen. It is commonly 

 reported to be " the finest walnut tree in Scotland ;" but however 

 highly it may rank in point of symmetry and general contour, 

 its dimensions and bulk of timber are eclipsed by several 

 trees in other localities, and by some of those to which refer- 

 ence has been made. It is, doubtless, a very fine tree, and 

 is 55 feet in height, with a bole of 12 feet, girthing 13 feet 6 

 inches at 1 foot and 12 feet 3 inches at 5 feet from the ground, 

 and the diameter of its spread of branches is 63 feet. The 

 Otterstone trees are more majestic, but unfortunately two of the 

 finest of this group fell in the awful gale of 14th October 1881. 

 The largest of these girthed no less than 16 feet at 12 feet 

 from the ground, and one limb alone was 13 feet 6 inches in 

 girth, above the 12 feet measurement of the bole. Each tree 

 contained from 9 to 10 tons of beautifully sound and valuable 

 timber, great difficulty being experienced in transporting the 

 trunks to the railway, for, owing to their immense bulk, no 

 j anker in the neighbourhood was either large or powerful enough 

 to take in either tree. The other tree, it may be stated, was 

 18 feet in girth at 20 feet from the ground. The two trees 

 were sold for a little over £50 for cabinet work, and the roots 

 were sold separately for gun-stocks, and were most beautifully 

 striated with richly coloured markings. The date over the old 

 doorway of the oldest portion of Otterstone mansion house is 

 1589, and the walnuts, Spanish chestnuts, beeches, and other 

 magnificent timber trees adjoining the garden and house appear 

 to be coeval with this portion of the building. 



We need only notice cursorily tlie walnuts of notable 

 appearance and dimensions to be found south of the Forth, as 

 for instance at iJundas Castle (Linlitligowshire), Duntarvie 

 Castle (Linlithgowshire), Newbattle Abbey and Edmonstone 

 (Mid-Lothian), where the largest specimen south of the Forth 

 which we have been able to find still exist. It is now IS feet 

 2 inches at 1 foot and 17 feet 3 inches at 3 feet from the 

 ground. The soil is a strong blue loam, overlying the 



