Fortingall
Fortingall
| |
---|---|
Cottages in Fortingall | |
Location within Perth and Kinross | |
OS grid reference | NN739470 |
Council area | |
Country | Scotland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | ABERFELDY |
Postcode district | PH15 |
Dialling code | 01887 |
Police | Scotland |
Fire | Scottish |
Ambulance | Scottish |
UK Parliament | |
Scottish Parliament | |
Fortingall (
Local legend claims that it was the birthplace of Pontius Pilate, although he was born well before the Roman conquest and became famous in the biblical account of Jesus's death 30 years before the Romans first reached this part of Scotland.[2] A number of other locations, including villages in Spain and Germany, make similar claims. It is also famous for the Fortingall Yew, the village's churchyard yew tree that could be over 5,000 years old, and thus one of the oldest living things in Europe.
Parish church
The
The yew tree
The Fortingall Yew is an ancient tree in its own walled enclosure within the village churchyard. Its age has been estimated between 2000 and 9000 years - with the higher estimate putting it in contention of the oldest living tree – perhaps even the oldest living thing – in Europe.[4] Place-name and archaeological evidence hint at an Iron Age cult centre at Fortingall, which may have had this tree as its focus. The site was Christianised during the Dark Ages, perhaps because it was already a sacred place.
Village planning
The attractive village, with its large hotel adjoining the churchyard, was built in 1890-91 by shipowner and Unionist MP, Sir Donald Currie, who bought the Glenlyon Estate - including the village - in 1885. It was designed by the architect James M MacLaren and built by John McNaughton. The thatched cottages are notable examples of a planned village built in vernacular style (here combining both Lowland Scottish and English influences, notably from Devon) and are increasingly appreciated as one of the most important examples of 'arts and crafts' vernacular style in Scotland. Following roof fires in the 1970s and 1980s, several thatched roofs were converted to tiles and remain so today.[5] The Fortingall Hotel, which was restored to its original appearance in 2006–2007, is an important example of Scottish vernacular revival. It is based on the tower-houses and burgh architecture of the 16th and 17th centuries, but in a modern idiom which anticipates the buildings of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, whose work MacLaren influenced.
Glenlyon House, and its adjoining Farm and steading, west of the village, were also designed, or largely rebuilt, to MacLaren's designs.
Archaeology
The area immediately surrounding Fortingall has one of the richest concentrations of prehistoric
Fortingall parish (now linked with Glenlyon) is one of the largest on Scotland, and takes in
Gallery
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Fortingall Hotel
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Stone circles
References
- ISBN 978-0-319-22979-8
- ^ Dickie, Douglas (19 April 2019). "Yew can't believe in Pontius Pilate myth". dailyrecord. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "Celtic hand bell, from 7th Century, stolen from Perthshire church". BBC. 10 September 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
- OCLC 51965877.
- ^ Perthshire Advertiser records
Further reading
- Fraser, D 1973 Highland Perthshire, Standard Press, Montrose.
- Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust 2003 Fortingall Church and Village, Perth.
- Robertson, N M 1997 'The Carved Stones of Fortingall' in Henry, D (ed) The worm, the germ and the thorn: Pictish and related studies presented to Isabel Henderson, The Pinkfoot Press, Balgavies, Angus, 133–48.
- Stewart, Alexander "A Highland Parish or The History of Fortingall", A Maclaren and Co, Glasgow, 1928