Fortingall

Known as one of the most attractive and interesting villages in Scotland, Fortingall is an ancient site with a fascinating history going back to Roman times and beyond. Fortingall is situated in the heart of Perthshire, at the entrance to Glen Lyon, not far from Loch Tay.

The town is well know for it’s picturesque thatched cottages and ancient yew tree, the Fortingall Yew, estimated to be at least 3,000 years old and possibly as old as 5,000 years. It is the oldest living organism in Britain and possibly the world. As the tree’s fame grew, souvenir hunters began to take large sections of the tree and eventually a wall was built to protect it. Recently, cuttings have been taken from the tree to be planted in woods around the country, ensuring the Fortingall Yew will live on for perhaps another few thousand years as a clone.

There is a local legend that Pontius Pilate was born near the yew and spent part of his childhood there. It is said that his father was a Roman envoy sent to Fortingall to help quell the warlike activities of the Picts where he had a child with a local woman, the father later returned to Rome with his son.