A pair of Scots Pines in Bransdale. Scots pines are the only truly native pines in Britain although the tree was believed to have become extinct in England about 300–400 years ago so these two are the result of re-introductions possibly self-seedlings from the nearby Barker Plantation on Groat Hill. It is only in Scotland, in the great Caledonian Forest, that the native tree survived.
Top left of the photo is Smout House, the National Trust’s Bransdale base. Peeping out from behind the nearest hillside is Spout House, and between the two is Yoad House. All three farms date from at least the early 19th-century although Smout House then went by the name of Loft House.
Leave a Reply