Last Ent of Affric
Ancient elm in the Scottish Highlands From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Last Ent of Affric is an ancient elm in the Scottish Highlands,[1] designated a Tree of National Special Interest (TNSI)[2] by the Woodland Trust and named Scotland's Tree of the Year in 2019.[3][4] It is probably the last surviving tree of an ancient forest, and by virtue of its isolation has remained safe from Dutch elm disease.[2]
| The Last Ent of Affric | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The tree on the slopes of Gleann nan Cìche | |
  The Last Ent of Affric | |
| Species | Wych elm (Ulmus glabra) |
| Coordinates | 57°13′17″N 5°06′23″W |
| Girth | 3.8m |
| Website | Woodland Trust - Ancient Tree Inventory |
.jpg)
The 'Last Ent of Affric' is a centuries-old[3] Wych elm (Ulmus glabra),[2] named in reference to the tree-creatures of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.[3] Giles Brockman of Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), who nominated the tree for the Tree of the Year Award 2019, said:
Given its location, its isolation - and its peculiar 'face' - it's very easy to imagine it as one of Tolkien's Ents standing sentinel over the rebirth of a new native woodland in Affric.[1]
It has a girth of 3.80m at a height of 1.50m.[2] It is located in Glean nan Ciche, a side spur off Glen Affric in the Highlands of Scotland.[3] The Last Ent's exact age is uncertain, but its diameter suggests it is many centuries old.[3] Given its unusual location, and isolation, it is supposed to be the single surviving tree of ancient forest.[3] Brockman said:
The Last Ent is growing on the rocky outflow of a mountain stream, not a place where you would choose to plant a tree, there being little soil under the moss that covers the rocks. So this must be a survivor of a forest long departed, a sentinel watching over the new native woodland growing on the slopes below.[3]
Discovery of owl pellets among the roots of the tree suggests that it is home to a roost of owls.[3]
In 2019, The Last Ent of Affric was named as Scotland's Tree of the Year, following nomination by Giles Brockman of Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS).[3] Brockman had launched a campaign to recognise the elm, which he described as "a hidden mystery of Glen Affric."[3] It was one of six finalists,[5] selected from public nominations, and subsequently won an online public vote.[1]
Following its becoming Tree of the Year, the Last Ent of Affric was adopted as a figurehead of efforts to fight Dutch elm disease.[4] Dr. Euan Bowditch, from the Wooded Landscapes Research Group at Inverness College UHI, noted the significance of educating the public on the ongoing presence of healthy elms - and the need to protect them - in the face of the Dutch elm disease threat.[4] He noted:
The public perception of elm is probably quite defeatist. Many people might not realise that healthy elms exist, grow and regenerate. I think it is important to emphasise that elms are not lost to our landscape.[4]
Dutch elm disease is spread by beetles, aided by the movement of infected wood.[4] As such, the campaign to halt its spread in Scotland and the Highlands focuses on limiting the movement of this wood, to protect remaining elms.[4]
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