Big Tree Country >> Our Story >> On Video

Big Tree Country On Video

He adventured to the New World and brought back extraordinary aliens. Now he’s coming to a location near you.

The Scone-born plant collector David Douglas features in our stunning video but Perthshire Big Tree Country, named and famed for its spectacular tree and woodland heritage, is the real star.

Magnificent and unique aerial footage brings the landscape to life, along with introductions to several of our most celebrated trees: the Fortingall Yew, oldest living organism in Europe; the Birnam Oak, made famous in Shakespeare’s MacBeth; the record-breaking Meikleour Beech Hedge, tallest in the world; and Niel Gow’s Oak, named after the well-known fiddler.

The video begins in the grounds of Scone Palace where Douglas served his apprenticeship as a gardener in the early 19th century. He is responsible for introducing many plant and tree species that helped shaped the landscape of Big Tree Country including the Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, Scotland’s most prolific forestry tree, and sunflowers. But the area is so much more than trees.

The River Tay provides fantastic salmon fishing opportunities and a playground for the more adventurous white water rafters or canoeists. Great mountain and trail biking runs, and tracks suitable for all levels of walking, criss cross many of the woodland sites and hills.

And if you’re interested in helping to preserve the beauty of the area, and doing your bit to counter the effects of climate change and habitat destruction on the world’s trees, check out the video on our iCONic project. Find out why the project is so important in the current climate and join our Friends of iCONic network.

Now all that’s left to do is visit and see for yourself why we’re so proud of our Big Tree Country heritage. Sit back and enjoy the film....