John Knox’s Yew

The origin of this yew is a matter of debate as some claim it was planted by the leader of the Scottish Reformation John Knox in the middle of the 16^th century. Other claims say it is older and that John Knox both preached under it and gave communion to the family of the 5th Earl of Glencairn, who owned the house, in 1556. Why he would use a yew tree instead of a church or chapel to conduct preaching or administering a sacrament is probably because churches of his day were known to bar doors to him. Whether this yew was planted by Knox or is older, it is an exceptional yew because in 1900, as a result of alterations to the house, instead of being felled it was carefully moved 30 metres and survived its transplantation. However, the north facing area of the canopy is not as full and healthy as the rest and may be the result of storm damage since the transplantation.