Recently I had the absolute delight of visiting Dumfries House Estate.  

In 2007, its grounds, buildings and contents were put up for sale. It was highly unlikely everything would be bought together, so there was a danger that the contents, including original Chippendale furniture, would end up with various private buyers and be lost. Fortunately, a consortium led by the then Prince Charles swooped in and the whole estate was bought and saved for The Nation. Charitable donations followed and the house, outbuildings and grounds have been restored over several years.

It currently serves as the main headquarters of the Kings Foundation. The Foundation is heavily involved in the promoting, and training of traditional heritage skills such as stonemasonry, blacksmithing, roof thatching and more. There is also a strong focus on education and health and wellbeing. was in the estate grounds I found myself, in particular the Walled Garden.

The array of flowers, vegetables, shrubs and trees was marvellous and the colours on a sunny afternoon were stunning. Add to that a myriad of colourful butterflies and it made for a perfect afternoon of meandering. All played out with the background ‘music’ of a gentle fountain, some birdsong and the buzzing of busy bees.

Without a doubt the most stunning resident is a huge Sycamore tree. Growing on higher ground it looks over the whole garden. Estimated to be around 400 years old.

It predates Dumfries house and it is thought to have been planted around 1599 when Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne. Very appropriately it now lives in The Queen Elizabeth Walled Garden, opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 2014. 

By all accounts, the tree was in a sorry state when the Kings Foundation took over. It had been left for years and was overgrown, at the base, with Japanese Knotweed and other plants.  It was gently nursed back to health by specialist arboriculturists and horticulturists. The way it looks today is a testament to the tender ministrations.  

In 2022 it was chosen as one of 70 ancient trees for the Queen’s Green Canopy network for her Platinum Jubilee. It is the oldest tree in the estate.

If only the tree could talk. Would it tell stories of The Covenanters? Perhaps the Scottish Bard himself penned a poem whilst sitting nearby? Maybe Keir Hardie spent time there contemplating stories for the Cumnock News or working out his plans for a Scottish Mineworkers’ Union. Have there been secret trysts or proposals under its branches?

Pennylands Camp, located in the estate grounds, was a WW2 troop training camp and later was used as a POW camp. Could the troops sit and relax under the tree before being sent off to war? Could the prisoners see the tree and dream of freedom at the end of the war? 

I certainly don’t know any of that, but my fanciful mind would like to think that in over 400 years this magnificent tree has not gone unnoticed. How could it not be noticed? It is absolutely stunning.

(See the Sycamore tree captured on communiMap: https://www.spotteron.com/communimap/spots/1328635.)