Natural landmarks · Scottish Islands
The Big Tree, Kirkwall
In or near Finstown.
The Big Tree, Kirkwall in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom.
Mike Pennington — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
- Wheelchair accessible
About
The Big Tree, Kirkwall is a place of interest in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom — drawn from open-data sources for visitor reference. See the linked Wikipedia article for the full description.
Photo gallery
See it from the streetimagery from 2019
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Official information
The Orkney Museum showcases the history of Orkney from prehistoric times to the present, featuring a significant collection of archaeological artifacts. Visitors can explore the Baikie Library and Drawing Room, which reflect the historical family life in the museum's original home, Tankerness House.
From the Wikipedia article
The Big Tree is a sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) in Kirkwall, Orkney. It was named "Scotland's Tree of the Year" in the annual competition held by Woodland Trust Scotland, in 2017. The tree was nominated for the Scottish competition by Andrew Richards and Hazel Flett on behalf of the Kirkwall Community Council who also won a £1,000 grant from the Scottish Woodland Trust and Postcode Lottery. The prize money was used to stage a series of competitions to engage the public with the tree in the largely treeless islands. The sycamore is thought to be more than 200 years old and now stands in the main thoroughfare of Albert Street, Kirkwall. It is under the care of Orkney Islands Council.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The big tree has been used as a meeting place by generations of Orcadians, and it once stretched across to touch the windows of the building opposite. It was originally one of three trees within the privately owned garden of chemist Thomas Sclater. Sclater divided up his properties in the 1870s to create two shop fronts and started to chop down his trees to make use of the garden ground. There was a public outcry and the last tree was saved by the Kirkwall Town Council, who paid Sclater £5 to leave it standing. In a letter from Sclater to the Kirkwall Town Council dated 30 January 1875: <blockquote>Sir, To avoid litigation, and by way of compromise I hereby beg to offer to convey to the…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 58.9825, -2.9596
- District
- Orkney Islands
- Postcode
- KW15 1DH
- Parliamentary constituency
- Orkney and Shetland
- Phone
- 01856 873191
- Opening
- Monday to Saturday 10:30am – 5:00pm; closed Jan-Feb
- Official site
- www.orkneymuseums.co.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q107137308 (CC0)
- wikipedia: The Big Tree, Kirkwall (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Kirkwall Castle
Castles · 0.1 km
St Magnus Cathedral
Cathedrals · 0.1 km
War Memorial, St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall
Memorials & monuments · 0.1 km
Kirkwall and St. Ola War Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 0.1 km
Town Hall, 23 Broad Street, Kirkwall
Historic houses · 0.1 km
St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall
Cathedrals · 0.1 km
Orkney Museum
Museums · 0.1 km
Covenanters' Fountain
Memorials & monuments · 0.1 km
Albert Kinema
Theatres · 0.1 km
Church Of Scotland, King Street, Kirkwall
Historic churches · 0.2 km
Kirkwall
Cathedrals · 0.2 km
The Storehouse
Hotels · 0.2 km
Nearby
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Kirkwall Castle
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📷 5Cathedrals · Scottish Islands
St Magnus Cathedral
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📷 5Memorials & monuments · Scottish Islands
War Memorial, St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall
War Memorial, St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall — category A listed building-listed memorial in scotland-islands, United Kingdom.
📷 3Memorials & monuments · Scottish Islands
Kirkwall and St. Ola War Memorial
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📷 4Historic houses · Scottish Islands
Town Hall, 23 Broad Street, Kirkwall
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★ Iconic📷 5Cathedrals · Scottish Islands
St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall
St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall — cathedral in Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland.
Where to eat & stay near The Big Tree, Kirkwall
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is The Big Tree, Kirkwall?
- The Big Tree, Kirkwall is in the Scottish Islands, United Kingdom (postcode KW15 1DH).
- What is The Big Tree, Kirkwall?
- The Big Tree, Kirkwall in Orkney + Shetland, United Kingdom.
- How do I get to The Big Tree, Kirkwall?
- Drivers can use postcode KW15 1DH.
- How do I get to The Big Tree, Kirkwall?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode KW15 1DH. It sits within the Orkney and Shetland parliamentary constituency.