Tarbet - Stuckgowan (Argyllshire)

Giant Redwood - July 2019

Gordon wrote about this GIant Redwood in Stuckgown, he said "My favourite tree is only a half mile or so from Tarbet, Loch Lomond. It is truly phenomenal. It is at Stuckgowan. I can't see how you missed it. It must be over 150 feet tall and my son and I measured its circumference at 24 feet but it is the foliage --- dense to the ground, the symmetry and brilliant green makes it even better than the one at Benmore which we discovered years ago in deep undergrowth. The ones at Tarbet are comparatively insignificant. They have partly ruined the Benmore tree by cutting the lower branches in order, I presume to put it on display. Both trees are not as big as the Taymouth Castle Gardens denizens but the latter just don't have the symmetry. But as you say once you've seen them, you're a convert for life -- a more beautiful tree than the Giant Sequoia except, perhaps, when the latter are in relatively youthful mode in spire-like form e.g. at Drumodrochit." Thank you for letting me know about your favourite tree at Stuckgowan and thanks to your son for supplying the photographs. It sounds a lovely specimen, I do particularly like when the foliage is left to drape right to the ground, although I also like to see the trunk so I suppose it's nice to see some of each now and then. I have only travelled that way (Tarbet) once in 2000, which was before I had become familiar with Redwoods, so I hope I may be forgiven for missing your tree. Perhaps I will be fortunate enough to visit next time I go to Scotland.