Image from Telegraph shows Chris Hunter measuring to the tip of the fir

The community of Colintraive and Glendaruel has received  a great deal of press attention over the last week or so as it has emerged that the Stronardron Douglas Fir has been crowned Tallest Tree in the UK.

from The Herald:

Mr Creelman, who hails originally from Greenock, says he regards himself more as a custodian of the tree than its legal owner. “When it was planted there was a kind of altruism where somebody plants a tree in 1848 and they are not going to see it in any great form and neither are their children,” he said.

“These days are gone but it’s nice that there are these living memorials. All you can do is look after the tree.”

While the title may seem rather obscure to some, it can be expected to boost tourism in the local area.

However, Mr Creelman is keen to strike a balance between making the tree accessible to the public and destroying the surrounding foliage.

“While we welcome people to come in and see the tree and see the garden, we don’t want to be trampled with people. It has survived there since 1848,” he said.

Reproduced with kind permission from The Herald

As more stories emerge they’ll be posted here:

• Scots fir is ‘tallest tree in UK’ (BBC)
• Trees worth meeting (The Telegraph)
• It’s a tall order measuring the biggest tree in Britain (The Scotsman)
• The tallest tree in the UK… by Fir (The Sun!)
• Douglas Fir in Argyll named tallest tree in Britain (Herald)
• Britain’s tallest tree is 209 ft Douglas Fir (Telegraph)
• The 210ft fir that’s been crowned Britain’s tallest tree – and is still growing (Mail)
• Sparsholt Lecturers Find Tallest Tree (Hampshire Chronicle)
• Is the Tallest Tree in the UK Argyll’s - in Glendaruel? (ForArgyll)
• Views of the Tallest Tree in the UK at Dunans Castle (LairdofDunansCastle.com)
• It’s a YES. Argyll has the tallest tree in the UK - see it from Dunans Castle in Glendaruel (ForArgyll)
• How long will Argyll’s Stronardron Douglas Fir hold on to the ‘UK’s Tallest Tree’ title? (ForArgyll)
• Dunans Castle Views the Tallest Tree in the UK – it’s official! (Dunans Heritage Project)
• Arborist’s to Search for Britain’s Tallest Tree (HortWeek)
• Sparsholt College Lecturers Search for Britain’s Tallest Tree (Sparsholt College)

After four hundred years the old Achanelid Bridge is no more. Its graceful curving arch spanning the ten feet over the burn is replaced by a gaping 40 foot canyon of mud.

Curiously, no one - not the engineers, not our local councillor, not the farmers who use it - can explain why. As soon as its replacement was mooted, I went under to have look. It appeared sound. Well, nothing that two men and a bucket of cement couldn’t fix in an hour including tea breaks - and without disturbing the resident bats.

Of course, the high hiedyins, as in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Mikado, have ‘got a little list’ of bridges in Argyll to be upgraded whether they need it or not. Unfortunately Achanelid is spelt with an ‘A’. Were it Zebra Bridge we could well wait another 400 years - when the old bridge would still be standing sound.

One consequence of the works is that we’ve had no visitors for six weeks and we’re spending a fortune on fuel. Another is that the burn has taken on the consistency of oxtail soup. We, the Fyne & Awe Fisheries and SEPA are not amused.

Of course, we elect thecoucillors not the executive. This was an executive decision. Council-lors only do the really important things like deciding if you can build that conservatory and claiming their expenses. Shakespeare understood -
“… but man, proud man,
Drest in a little brief authority,
Most ignorant of what he’s
most assured …”
Angry? Me? What about the bats?
Michael Kaufmann

In the last newsletter our Councillor reported on discussions between Scottish Power (SP) and Scottish Water (SW) with a view to connecting the Garvie Burn private main at the top of the Glen with the public system at the Clachan.
Residents on the Garvie Burn supply recently received notification from Sam Anderson of SP stating that SW would be investigating the existing water main with a view to potentially adopt it.
Sam Anderson tells me that SW’s inspection is now completed and he awaits the final report. He explained that the water treatment plant had just completed routine maintenance and water sampling.
Will the Garvie Burn residents end up on the Scottish Water supply, will they remain as they are, or on a similar version of their current system? Watch this space!
Iyline Wilson

The Dunans Charitable Trust is delighted to be the recipient of a grant from the Cruach Mhor Windfarm Trust. The funding will support the continuation of the extensive work that has so far been undertaken, to preserve, protect and create access to Dunans Bridge as well as the transferral of ownership to the trust.

In 1971 the Bridge was awarded an A listing in recognition of the unique place it occupies in the nation’s built heritage as the only example of a triple-arch rubble construction with eight octagonal piers designed by Thomas Telford. Playing a pivotal visual role in the designed landscape around Dunans, the bridge stands some 13.5 metres from the stream bed, straddles one of the Ruel’s tributaries and is flanked by magnificent native and exotic specimen trees. South-west Cowal’s  connection to Telford is well known and this example of his work is especially unusual and comparatively ‘undiscovered’ as a tourist attraction. With the recent addition of Caithness Stone steps and viewing platform the visitor is able to gain access to the base of the bridge and experience Telford’s monumental design at close hand.

The trust continues its work and next year will see further progress being made in the continued restoration and regeneration of the Dunans site as a whole in becoming a pivotal destination in Cowal and a positive addition to ColGlen’s assets.

The Dunans Charitable Trust, A Scottish Charity No.SC038431 www.dunans.org

I associate daffodils in flower with Spring so imagine my surprise when on 29th December I saw daffodils in flower at the Glendaruel Caravan park. Some others have been seen in flower in recent weeks and some of ours may be in flower by early March. But December is ridiculous. Snowdrops were a little late this year and crocus have just started.
Some of our early rhododendrons are in flower and have so far avoided the frost damage which so often spoils them. I saw a rhododendron praecox today and must have one for next year. We had one in our Colintraive garden and the flowers which cover the bush give a wonderful early splash of pale purple.
Frog spawn has appeared as usual late in February and some croaking and splashing is heard as you approach the pond. Our local woodpecker is very busy. I am glad not to have to bang my head on a tree to get food! Apart from the very early daffodils signs of climate change this Spring are few.
Garden plans are changing. Now that roof repairs are finished climbing roses will be grown on the south facing gable again. I have planted Golden showers, Zephirine Drouhin, Dorothy Perkins and an unknown red. It may be rather crowded. A new rose only bed is being prepared  as they do not like competing with other plants. Many small and sickly trees have been dropped and more will follow. I am determined to let in more  light but will leave to the experts the felling of a number of Leylandii which have become too large. What a pity I still have no wood burning stove.
Potatoes have been grown in the same patch for the last two years which means none this year but instead more vegetables. The head gardener gave me a fleece tunnel which may allow an earlier crop of whatever. I may try lettuce, carrots and beetroot. The recent dry spell allowed almost all the garden rubbish to be burnt. A bonfire is a satisfying thing which brings out the wee boy in me. But I am not very good at starting the fire. Instead of creating a good going hot centre I tend to pile on branches as soon as the fire catches which has one result - it goes out! I must learn to be patient.

Tom Mowat