When Mountquhanie House was built in 1838 the ruins of an old castle nearby were deliberately destroyed. Near to the ruins is a pond with a grove of yews on its banks and they contain an icehouse in their shade, suggesting ice was conveniently gathered from the pond in winter.
According to a resident of Mountquhanie the belief is that the yews were once part of hedge left abandoned to become what it is today. However, there is no distinct linear arrangement of the yews to back this up, as most are found in close planted groves. Many yews have multiple stems, some seem to have layered or self-seeded and some are lying prone but still survive.
A girth measurement of a male was taken at 100 cm and 278 cm was recorded (SYTHI 2020). Other girths ranged from 269 – 273 cm (SYTHI 2020). The girths suggest that these yews are over 200 years and must predate the building of the house.