The Hornbeam.

You don't see all that many of these north of the border as it is native to the south-east. This one is on the track up to Corstorphine Hill.

In Old English "horn" means hard and "beam" means tree. The wood was used for wheels and spokes.

The bark looks like elephant hide. It is smooth and grey but twisted like thick rope.

It is tricky to identify hornbeams from their leaves which are rough like the elm but oval-shaped like beech.