Community Woodlands Association at the Hanging Tree

The Community Woodlands Association Annual Conference at Drumnadrochit included a site visit to The Cover, a woodland where Scottish Native Woods have been working to reduce the impact of Invasive Non Native Species such as Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam.

On the way to the wood we stopped to look at this old Sweet Chestnut, which is known as the Hanging Tree. Until 1747 Highland Lairds often had the power of "pit and gallows": the right pass judgement and to hang male and drown female wrong doers. In 1057 King Malcolm passed legislation requiring those who had this power to maintain a tree for the gallows and a pit of water for drownings. Hanging trees are still found around Scotland, whereas the pits seem to have disappeared.