"Caber toss The caber toss is a traditional Scottish athletic event in which competitors toss a large tapered pole called a ""caber"". It is normally practised at the Scottish Highland Games. In Scotland the caber is usually made from a Larch tree and is typically tall and weighs . The term ""caber"" derives from the Gaelic word ""cabar"", which refers to a wooden beam. The person tossing the caber is called a ""tosser"" or a ""thrower"". It is said to have developed from the need to toss logs across narrow chasms (in order to cross them), lumberjacks needing to transport"
"this ancient forest remain, the main surviving remnants being at Abernethy Forest, Glen Affric, Rothiemurchus Forest, and the Black Wood of Rannoch. Plans are currently in progress to restore at least some areas and work has started at key sites. Additionally, the Scots pine is the plant badge of Clan Gregor and has been proposed as the national tree of Scotland Scots pine is an important tree in forestry. The wood is used for pulp and sawn timber products. A seedling stand can be created by planting, sowing, or natural regeneration. Commercial plantation rotations vary between 50 and 120 years,"
"with an axe, producing a hot flame and good embers when burnt. In Scotland, sycamores were once a favoured tree for hangings, because their lower branches rarely broke under the strain. Both male and female flowers produce abundant nectar, which makes a fragrant, delicately flavoured and pale-coloured honey. The nectar and copious dull yellow ochre pollen are collected by honeybees as food sources. The sap rises vigorously in the spring and like that of sugar maple can be tapped to provide a refreshing drink, as a source of sugar and to make syrup or beer. Under this sycamore tree at"
"dominated by conifers. Sitka spruce (""Picea sitchensis"") covers 75% of the planted area; this species thrives in the damp conditions afforded by northern Britain. Other species include Norway spruce (""Picea abies"") and lodgepole pine (""Pinus contorta""), which cover 9% of the area each. The remainder is made up of Scots pine (""Pinus sylvestris""), larch (""Larix"" spp.), Douglas-fir (""Pseudotsuga menziesii""), and broadleaves including birch (""Betula"" spp.), rowan (""Sorbus aucuparia""), cherry (""Prunus"" spp.), oak (""Quercus"" spp.), beech (""Fagus sylvatica""), and willow (""Salix"" spp.). 475,000 cubic metres of timber is harvested annually to supply local sawmilling, chipboard, pulp and wood fuel customers. Most"
"the village of Corstorphine, now a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland. The tree was reputedly planted in the 15th century and is named as the form ""Acer pseudoplatanus"" f. ""corstorphinense"" Schwer. Not only was it claimed to be the ""largest sycamore in Scotland"" but also the scene of James Lord Forrester's murder in 1679. The tree was blown down in a storm on Boxing Day 1998, but a replacement, grown from a cutting, now stands in the churchyard of Corstorphine Kirk. The tree is commemorated in the badge of the Corstorphine Bowling Club of Edinburgh, designed in 1950 to feature the"
"and prominent features of the Scottish flora include boreal Caledonian forest (much reduced from its natural extent), heather moorland and coastal machair. In addition to the native varieties of vascular plants there are numerous non-native introductions, now believed to make up some 43% of the species in the country. There are a variety of important trees species and specimens; a Douglas fir near Inverness is the tallest tree in the United Kingdom and the Fortingall Yew may be the oldest tree in Europe. The Shetland mouse-ear and Scottish primrose are endemic flowering plants and there are a variety of endemic"
"Below the tree line there are several zones of climax forest. Birch dominates to the west and north, Scots Pine with Birch and oak in the eastern Highlands and oak (both ""Quercus robur"" and ""Q. petrea"") with Birch in the Central Lowlands and Borders. Much of the Scottish coastline consists of machair, a fertile dune pasture land formed as sea levels subsided after the last ice age. Machairs have received considerable ecological and conservational attention, chiefly because of their unique ecosystems. The total number of vascular species is low by world standards, partly due to the effects of Pleistocene glaciations"
"constructed of oak from the Balgonie and Culross forests of Fife, thought to be the hardest and most durable in Scotland during that period. The roof of the former Tron Kirk further down the High Street is similar. The roof of the new Scottish Parliament Building continues this tradition, and is supported by large laminated oak beams. After the Act of Union 1707, the Parliament of Scotland was adjourned, and the building ceased to be used for its original function. The Hall was used for the sitting of courts, but in recent times has been subject to restoration work and"
"Ceratonia siliqua Ceratonia siliqua, known as the carob () tree , St John's bread, locust bean (not African locust bean), locust-tree, or carob bush is a flowering evergreen tree or shrub in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated for its edible pods, and as an ornamental tree in gardens. The ripe, dried, and sometimes toasted pod is often ground into ""carob powder"", which is used to replace cocoa powder. ""Carob bars"", an alternative to chocolate bars, as well as carob treats, are often available in health food stores. Carob pods are naturally sweet, not bitter, and contain no"
"the 17th century. By the 18th century, most of Britain's forests were consumed for shipbuilding or manufacturing charcoal and the nation was forced to import lumber from Scandinavia, North America, and the Baltic. Most forest land in Ireland is maintained by state forestation programmes. Almost all land outside urban areas is farmland. However, relatively large areas of forest remain in east and north Scotland and in southeast England. Oak, elm, ash and beech are amongst the most common trees in England. In Scotland, pine and birch are most common. Natural forests in Ireland are mainly oak, ash, wych elm, birch"
"from it is also called red deal or yellow deal. Another name, although less common, is European redwood. Scots pine Scots pine (""Pinus sylvestris"") is a species of pine that is native to Eurasia, ranging from Western Europe to Eastern Siberia, south to the Caucasus Mountains and Anatolia, and north to well inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia. In the north of its range, it occurs from sea level to , while in the south of its range it is a high altitude mountain tree, growing at altitude. It is readily identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves"
"this purpose. Fraser fir has been used more times as the White House Christmas tree (the official Christmas tree of the President of the United States's White House) than any other tree. It is grown in plantations in Scotland and sold by the thousands throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is also cultivated from seedlings in several northern states in the USA and adjacent parts of Quebec province, especially for the Christmas tree trade. The combination of form, needle retention, dark blue-green color, pleasant scent and excellent shipping characteristics has led to Fraser fir being a most popular Christmas"
"to the forest limit. On fertile sites, Scots pine is out-competed by other, usually spruce or broad-leaved tree species. It is the national tree of Scotland. ""Pinus sylvestris"" is an evergreen coniferous tree growing up to 35 m in height and 1 m trunk diameter when mature, exceptionally over tall and trunk diameter on very productive sites, the tallest on record being a more than 210-year-old tree growing in Estonia which stands at . The bark is thick, scaly dark grey-brown on the lower trunk, and thin, flaky and orange on the upper trunk and branches. The habit of the"
"Quercus suber Quercus suber, commonly called the cork oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section ""Quercus"" sect. ""Cerris"". It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring and as the cores of cricket balls. It is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa. In the Mediterranean basin the tree is an ancient species with fossil remnants dating back to the Tertiary period. It grows to up to , although it is typically more stunted in its native environment. The leaves are long, weakly lobed or coarsely toothed, dark"
"of Fionn mac Cumhaill. In his 1955 monograph ""Some Scottish Quaichs"", Richard L. McCleneahan, an American collector, suggests that the quaich evolved directly from the medieval mazer. This seems unlikely as the form and material (burr maple for mazers) are quite different. There were small stave-built drinking vessels common in the medieval period found around the Baltics and, since some of the earliest quaichs are stave-built, this could be the source. Traditionally quaichs are made of wood, an artform known as ""treen"". Some early quaichs are stave-built like barrels and some have alternating light and dark staves. The staves are"
"emblem. The ""broomscod"", or seed-pod, was the personal emblem of Charles VI of France. Cytisus scoparius Cytisus scoparius, the common broom or Scotch broom, syn. ""Sarothamnus scoparius"", is a perennial leguminous shrub native to western and central Europe. In Britain and Ireland, the standard name is broom, but this name is also used for other members of the Genisteae tribe, such as French broom or Spanish broom, and the term common broom is sometimes used for clarification. In other English-speaking countries, the most prevalent common name is Scotch broom (or Scot's broom); It is known as English broom in Australia."
"Scots pine Scots pine (""Pinus sylvestris"") is a species of pine that is native to Eurasia, ranging from Western Europe to Eastern Siberia, south to the Caucasus Mountains and Anatolia, and north to well inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia. In the north of its range, it occurs from sea level to , while in the south of its range it is a high altitude mountain tree, growing at altitude. It is readily identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and orange-red bark. The species is mainly found on poorer, sandy soils, rocky outcrops, peat bogs or close"
"Caledonian Forest, the name given to the remnants of the old-growth temperate rainforest of Scotland composed chiefly of Scots pine trees that first colonised the area after the last Ice Age 8-10,000 years ago, and which forms an important habitiate for species such as capercaillie, crested tit and the endemic Scottish crossbill. Since the late 18th century commercial timber extraction (especially during the two world wars) and human settlement have contributed to the serious deterioration of the woodland. In addition to the pinewood, there are areas of birch, and more open areas of heather, bracken and grass. Red deer, otters,"
"with longer rotations in northeastern areas where growth is slower. In Scandinavian countries, Scots pine was used for making tar in the preindustrial age. Some active tar producers still exist, but mostly the industry has ceased. The pine has also been used as a source of rosin and turpentine. The wood is pale brown to red-brown, and used for general construction work. It has a dry density around 470 kg/m (varying with growth conditions), an open porosity of 60%, a fibre saturation point of 0.25 kg/kg, and a saturation moisture content of 1.60 kg/kg. Scots pine fibres are used to"
"early blades varied in construction, some having a ""clipped"" (famously found on the Bowie knife) or ""drop"" point. The ""spear-point"" tip has now become universal. The earliest known blades, some housed in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, are made from German or Scandinavian steel, which was highly prized by the Highlanders. Scalloped filework on the back of the blade is common on all Scottish knives. A short blade of is typical. Traditionally the scabbard is made of leather reinforced with wood and fitted with mounts of silver or some other metal which may be cast or engraved with"
"Scotland, where the plant grows widely. When poems like ""Bonnie Auld Scotland"" speak of ""fragrant hills of purple heather', when the hero of ""Kidnapped"" flees through the heather, when heather and Scotland are linked in the same sentence, the heather talked about is ""Calluna vulgaris"". Scottish writer Nan Shepherd speaks of the heather in her book The Living Mountain. The Robert E. Howard story ""Kings of the Night"" frequently references heather when describing a portion of what would later become Great Britain. The English folksong, Scarborough Fair, has the line, ""Gather it all in a bunch of heather"". The Joy"
"that there are several large groups of clans which share badges and also share a historical connection. The Clan Donald group (clans ""Macdonald"", ""Macdonald of Clanranald"", ""Macdonell of Glengarry"", ""MacDonald of Keppoch"") and clans/septs which have been associated with Clan Donald (like certain ""MacIntyres"" and the ""Macqueens"" of Skye) all have common heath attributed as their badge. Another large group is the Clan Chattan group (clans ""Mackintosh"", ""Macpherson"", ""Macgillivray"", ""Macqueen"", ""Macbain"", ""Farquharson"", ""Davidson"") which have been attributed red whortleberry (sometimes called cranberry in Scotland), or bearberry, or boxwood. The leaves of these three plants are very similar, and at least"
"Capon Oak Tree The Capon Oak Tree is one of the last surviving trees of the ancient Jedforest, close to Jed Water, a small river which has cut a course below soft sandstone cliffs. It is located south of Jedburgh, Scotland, west of the A68. The Capon Tree is held together with concrete, bricks and timber beams supporting its trunk and branches due to a massive split down the middle of the trunk. The tree continues to grow. Trees are being replanted in the Borders to establish a renewal of the ancient 'Caledon Wood,' or great northern forest, which included"
"Gaelic “Mehill” meaning a 'gathering'. The best known ancient Mether in Scotland is the Dunvegan Cup, which is a 10th-century wooden example provided with silver ornamentation in the 15th century. Probably Irish in origin but Belonging to the Clan MacLeod, the Dunvegan mether is held in the clan collection of artifacts at Dunvegan Castle. Usually made of woods such as crab apple, alder, willow, sycamore, etc. with a four side top and oval or circular bottom. Methers have a number of handles, placed at the foot of the vessel and sometimes extending below the handle bottom to form feet as"
"Scots Gaelic, ""iubhar""; Manx, ""euar""; Welsh, ""ywen""; Cornish, ""ewen""; Breton, ""ivinenn"". Celtic sacred trees Many types of trees found in the Celtic nations are considered to be sacred, whether as symbols, or due to medicinal properties, or because they are seen as the abode of particular nature spirits. Historically and in folklore, the respect given to trees varies in different parts of the Celtic world. On the Isle of Man, the phrase 'fairy tree' often refers to the elder tree. The medieval Welsh poem ""Cad Goddeu (The Battle of the Trees)"" is believed to contain Celtic tree lore, possibly relating"
"between Ned Kelly and Robin Hood; the tradition maintains that he buried his takings under ""a tree marked with the Ace of Spades"". The roof beams of the Palace of Westminster in London and the Royal Palace in Amsterdam are said to have been made from ancient oaks felled when Cratloe Woods were cleared. Traditionally, it is claimed that wood from the forest was used in St. Mary's Cathedral in Limerick. The church has its original roof, constructed with Irish oak and with a set of carved misericords—one of the few remaining in Ireland dating from before the 16th century."
"ash (""Fraxinus excelsior""), hornbeam (""Carpinus betulus"") and Scots elm (""Ulmus glabra""). As a result of the increasingly continental climate on the eastern edge of the Harz, the common beech gives way to mixed forests of sessile oak. At intermediate heights of between 700 and 800 m above sea level, mixed woods of spruce (""Picea abies"") and common beech would predominantly be found under natural conditions. However, apart from a few remnants, these were supplanted a long time ago by spruce stands as a result of deliberate forest management. Sycamore trees are also found in these woods. Spruce woods thrive in"
"fruit is a small cupule containing three seeds. Pollen from the tree was found near the Antarctic Peninsula showing that it formerly grew in Antarctica since the Eocene period. Red beech is not currently considered threatened. Red beech is the only known plant source, apart from rooibos (""Aspalathus linearis""), of the C-linked dihydrochalcone glycoside nothofagin. It is also grown as an ornamental tree in regions with a mild oceanic climate due to its attractive leaf shape. It has been planted in Scotland and the North Coast of the Pacific of the United States. The red beech's wood is the most"
"species, of which five can only be observed in the reserve, and 42 to 46 Balkan endemic taxa. The plant species are both from the Mediterranean evergreen forests biome and from the temperate forests biome. The deciduous forests in the lowest reaches of the reserve are dominated by European beech (""Fagus sylvatica"") and European hop-hornbeam (""Ostrya carpinifolia""), and more rarely — sweet chestnut (""Castanea sativa""). The coniferous forest belt is composed of Scots pine (""Pinus sylvestris""), black pine (""Pinus nigra""), Norway spruce (""Picea abies""), European silver fir (""Abies alba""), Bulgarian fir (""Abies borisii-regis""), Macedonian pine (""Pinus peuce"") and Bosnian pine"
"of the early planters and forestry workers had no experience of forestry, being formerly employed in the forest's mines, and many anecdotes from this era can be found in the book ""Tales from the Gwydyr Woods"". Millions of seedlings were grown in the Diosgydd nursery, and the first areas planted were those that previously had some coverage. Most of the original plantations have now been felled and replanted as part of the forestry cycle. The majority of the forest is conifer (Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, Japanese larch, Norway spruce and Scots pine), relatively suited to the area's poor, shallow soils,"
"construction timber. However, it is sought for ornamental work sometimes and, since the natural shape of the fluted stem lends itself to it, specifically for furniture design. Given the sometimes extremely wavy grain of the wood that gives it very good resistance to splitting, sections of Carob bole are suitable for chopping blocks for splitting wood. Ceratonia siliqua Ceratonia siliqua, known as the carob () tree , St John's bread, locust bean (not African locust bean), locust-tree, or carob bush is a flowering evergreen tree or shrub in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated for its edible pods,"
"Scotland and northern Europe, but not sufficiently to have been distinguished as a separate botanical variety. Trees in the far north of the range were formerly sometimes treated as var. ""lapponica"", but the differences are clinal and it is not genetically distinct. Scots pine is the only pine native to northern Europe, forming either pure forests or mixed with Norway spruce, common juniper, silver birch, European rowan, Eurasian aspen and other hardwood species. In central and southern Europe, it occurs with numerous additional species, including European black pine, mountain pine, Macedonian pine, and Swiss pine. In the eastern part of"
"Irish hero Mac Cuill means 'son of the hazel'. W. B. Yeats thought the hazel was the common Irish form of the tree of life. Proto-Celtic was *""collos""; Old Irish and Modern Irish ""coll'; Scots Gaelic, ""calltunn"", ""calltuinn""; Manx, ""coull""; Welsh, ""collen""; Cornish, ""collwedhen""; Breton, ""kraoñklevezenn"". The alder, a shrub or tree of the birch family has special implications in Celtic tradition. The alder usually grows in wet ground, with small, pendulous catkins. Alders are especially associated with Bran; at Cad Goddeu, 'The Battle of the Trees', Gwydion guessed Bran's name from the alder twigs in his hand. The answer"