The Dunkeld Larches

Overview

Near Dunkelds famous cathedral youll find the remaining Parent Larch, also known as The Mother Tree.

It is the sole survivor from a group of five larches planted here as seedlings over 250 years ago. The young trees were collected from the Tyrol mountains in central Europe in 1738 and brought from London on the stagecoach, packed in a basket.
The trees became famous as the seed source for the large scale plantings carried out by the Dukes of Atholl on the hillsides around Dunkeld. The `Planting Dukes` radically transformed the Perthshire landscape and the `new` conifers prospered on the rain-soaked hillsides - ground unsuitable for any type of farming. Unlike pine or spruce, larch timber was durable and a superb material for boat building. In 1777 larch fishing cobbles were constructed for use on the River Tay; in 1819 a brig named `Larch` was built in Browns shipyard in Perth and in 1816 the HMS Athole (267 tons and 28 guns) was launched - constructed of Dunkeld larch.
The riverside near Dunkeld Cathedral is easily accessible on foot from the village centre and is a lovely spot for relaxing at any time of year.
See the majestic Parent Larch and riverside as part of the easy-going Larch Walk described in the excellent Dunkeld and Birnam Waymarked Walks leaflet. Available from Dunkeld Tourist Information Centre.
See also www.perthshirebigtreecountry.co.uk