An expert has ruled brown rot caused a branch to collapse from the iconic 600-year-old Birnam Oak tree in Perthshire.
Visitors to the centuries-old tree, which is a popular tourist attraction, found it taped off with a sign stating “danger, keep clear” on Sunday.
Oak not at risk of further damage
A spokesman for Perth and Kinross Council said that following inspection by an expert the cause has been determined as brown rot.
It’s hoped the tree is not at risk of any further damage but further fundraising is planned to carry out maintenance work.
A spokesman for the council said: “The Birnam Oak is on privately-owned land.
“Perth & Kinross Countryside Trust work with the community and the landowner to help raise funds to carry out maintenance work as required through the Perthshire Big Tree Country initiative.
“The trust’s manager has advised that the area will be made safe for the public, and that the tree has been inspected by an arboricultural consultant and it was determined the branch fell due to brown rot.
“The tree does not appear to be at a higher risk than it was prior to the branch breakage.
Detailed assessment
“A further detailed assessment will be carried out following discussions and agreement with the community and landowner.”
The 600-year-old tree has been subject to a number of efforts to preserve it over the years.
This has included the addition of beams to support the branches, as well as work by specialist tree surgeons in 2016 to prevent it splitting in two.
The Birnam Oak and the nearby Birnam Sycamore are thought to be the sole surviving trees from the great forest that once straddled the banks of the River Tay.
This forest is celebrated in Shakespeare’s Macbeth as the famous Birnam Wood.
The lower branches of the gnarled and ancient Birnam Oak rest on crutches and the first three metres of the trunk are hollow.
