Touch House now hosts a Business Centre within the grounds of the mansion. The magnificent drive up to the house contains many fine old trees, especially the Sequoiadendron giganteum ( Wellingtonia ), Douglas firs, and fine specimens of Yews. There are also Oak trees but one stands alone in the field guarding sentinel against all who pass this way. He has been there a long time and over the years he has not been able to sustain the weight of some of his massive branches which now rest upon the ground but which still support new growth.
A specimen of notable longevity is one in Lithuania which is believed to be approximately 1,500 years old, possibly making it the oldest oak in Europe. This particular Oak will not be anywhere near that age, in fact it will not be as old as the venerable specimens near Dunkeld. It is still a big tree though and its commanding solitary position makes this Oak worth a look especially if it brings you up the tree lined drive to see the others.
The Common Oak is a majestic tree with a very wide spreading crown, a short sturdy trunk, and deeply fissured grey brown bark. It can grow to 140 ft tall with a rounded spread of 80 ft or more, but is usually smaller in cultivation. Common Oak has small deciduous leaves. They remain deep green long into autumn before turning brown and then persisting on the tree well into winter. The typical oak flowers are hanging catkins which appear with the emerging leaves in early spring. The acorns are elongate, about 1 in long, with a cup that covers 1/3 of the nut. They are borne singly or in clusters of 2-5 which dangle on a single long peduncle. Hence the name Peduncular Oak.
Within its native range Quercus robur is valued for its importance to insects and other wildlife. Numerous insects live on the leaves, buds, and in the acorns. The acorns form a valuable food resource for several small mammals and some birds.
Oak is generally planted for forestry, and produces a long-lasting and durable heartwood, much in demand for interior and furniture work. The wood of Quercus robur is easily identified just by taking a closer look at the cross-section perpendicular to fibres. The wood is characterised by its distinct (often wide) dark and light brown growth rings. The earlywood displays a vast number of large vessels. Rays which resemble of thin yellow or light brown lines run across the growth rings.
This has inadvertantly turned into a series covering specimen trees in and around Stirling.
If you are interested in communing with Nature, learning about trees, or just bagging a cache give them a visit.
The others in the series are –
The Big Sycamores GC1EDN4
The Sequiadendron giganteum of Gillies Hill GC1H74Q
Sylvester, the Scots Pine GC1EDNP
The Sequiadendron giganteum of Beechwood. The juveniles. GC1H65Z
The Cedar of Lebanon GC1H94V
The Perfect Tree GC1FC71
Sequoia sempervirens. GC1HDY4
and this one, The Pedunculate Oak of Touch GC1H9XD