 Fortingall is a small hamlet that is home to the Fortingall Yew, thought to be around 5,000 years old and one of the oldest living things on earth. The yew stands in the grounds of the parish church, which is thought to have a long history having been an important Christian center from a very early date in the late 600s A.D. and early 700s A.D. The early monastery seems to have disappeared some time before the 1100s
St. Adomnan, Abbot of Iona from 679 A.D. to 704 A.D. is believed to have visited Fortingall and crop marks suggest there was an early monastery standing on or close to the site of today's church.
Outside the church are a number of gravestones with simple incised crosses, at least one of which is believed to date back to the 600s A.D., while another is medieval. Near the porch giving access to the church is a stone font from around 700 which stood inside the old church here. On display inside the church are fragments of three Pictish cross slabs dating back to around 800. They were discovered during the demolition of the old church in 1901.
The yew has numerous trunks, but even so, it is quite a bit smaller in circumference than it was before it suffered the attentions of souvenir seekers. A series of posts are set into the ground within the stone-walled enclosure, showing the astonishing tree's original girth.
About Fortingall Church and Yew
Undiscovered Scotland: Fortingall Church
Britain Express: Fortingall Yew and Church>/?A>
Wikipedia: Adomnan
Journey to Fortingall Church and Yew
Fortingall is a small village near Loch Tay in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Its nearest sizable neighbors are Aberfeldy and Kenmore in the Glen Lyon area.
Streetmap UK NGR NN7454746927
Visitors Information
Visitors information for Fortingall may be found at the Undiscovered Scotland website. General tourist information may be found at Visit Scotland: Perthshire website.
Additional Photos of Fortingall Church and Yew
Highway Sign to Fortingall, Perth and Kinross, Scotland (J. Demetrescu 2022)
Church Sign in Fortingall, Perth and Kinross, Scotland (J. Demetrescu 2022)
Fortingall Church, Perth and Kinross, Scotland (J. Demetrescu 2022)
Gravestone from 600s A.D. Outside Fortingall Church, Perth and Kinross, Scotland (J. Demetrescu 2022)
Gravestone from 600s A.D. Outside Fortingall Church, Perth and Kinross, Scotland (J. Demetrescu 2022)
St. Adomnan's Font from Around 700 A.D. Outside Fortingall Church, Perth and Kinross, Scotland (J. Demetrescu 2022)
Yew Sign at Fortingall, Perth and Kinross, Scotland (J. Demetrescu 2022)
Yew Encasement at Fortingall, Perth and Kinross, Scotland (J. Demetrescu 2022)
The Yew, Fortingall, Perth and Kinross, Scotland (J. Demetrescu 2022)
The Yew, Fortingall, Perth and Kinross, Scotland (J. Demetrescu 2022)
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