May 1st 2024.
In the quaint village of Beauly, a majestic elm tree stood tall for over 800 years, serving as a cherished landmark for the community. Unfortunately, last year, this beloved tree was struck by the devastating Dutch elm disease and toppled over. It was a sad loss for the village, but now there is new hope and a sense of renewal at the site.
Thanks to the efforts of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, a sapling from the original tree has been replanted at the site. This sapling, believed to be the oldest wych elm in Europe, was recovered from the fallen tree and has been carefully nurtured as part of the Scottish Plant Recovery project. Additionally, another sapling that has been bred to be disease-resistant has also been planted at the site, ensuring that the legacy of the Beauly Elm will continue to thrive.
Sarah Franklin from Historic Environment Scotland expressed the significance of the Beauly Elm as an iconic cultural asset and piece of heritage. Although it is no longer standing, its story lives on through digital documentation and preserved pieces of the timber gifted to the local community and kept in the HES collections. With the planting of these new elm saplings, the hope is to create a new piece of living archaeology that future generations can experience and appreciate.
Head of North Region for HES, James MacPherson, and Science Communicator at RBGE, Dr. Max Coleman, were present to plant one of the newly acquired wych elm saplings. The original Beauly Elm was believed to be over 800 years old and was mentioned in medieval documents as a boundary marker for the land granted to the Valliscaulian Monks. It was a significant part of the village square for centuries.
Max Coleman from RBGE explained that the sapling being planted is actually the offspring of mature elms in the Scottish Borders that miraculously survived the Dutch elm disease. Through careful breeding, scientists and horticulturists at RBGE hope that this young tree will inherit the beneficial traits from its parents and eventually replace the original Beauly Elm.
This groundbreaking work is part of RBGE's three-year Scottish Plant Recovery project, which is funded by the Scottish Government's Nature Restoration Fund. The project aims to restore ten threatened Scottish plant species, including wych elms, crab apples, oblong woodsia ferns, and the vibrant alpine blue-sow-thistle.
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