The Birnam Oak

The Birnam Oak is a living relic of a medieval forest that grew along the banks of the Tay in Perthshire. The wood’s special claim to fame is that it was spoken of by the witches in William Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’. The play is set in the 11th century but this tree is unlikely to be as old as that. However it is certainly one of the last trees of the Birnam Wood. The oak has a girth of 24 feet and to show its scale my sister Pauline obligingly posed beside it for this blip.

Witches' prophecy - Act 1, Scene 4, Macbeth.
"Macbeth shall never vanquished be till
Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill
Shall come against him."