A ‘Tree of ‘ Hope’ sapling from the iconic Sycamore Gap tree has found a new home near Loch Long.
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park joined a nationwide act of restoration with the planting at Benmore Botanic Garden today.
The sapling has been named ‘Tree of Hope’ and was grown from the Sycamore Gap tree which was felled in a callous act of vandalism in September 2023.
It is part of a national effort to disperse the tree’s living legacy across all 15 UK national parks.
Gordon Watson, the park authority’s chief executive, said: “The planting of the Sycamore Gap saplings across our 15 national parks represents an inspiring symbol of hope.
“It sends a message that even from the most destructive of actions, nature can recover and flourish when we properly take care of it.
“The planting ensures the public will be able to connect with its powerful story and legacy for generations to come.”
The project, delivered in partnership with the National Trust, aims to be a collective demonstration of stewardship, highlighting the long-term role national parks play in protecting landscapes, wildlife and cultural heritage for future generations.
Benmore was selected not only for its magnificent mountainside setting and world-renowned expertise in the stewardship of plant collections, but because it has also experienced the loss of trees at profound scale and public significance.
It was dramatically impacted during Storm Eowyn in 2025 when around 300 trees were uprooted and many more damaged.
This included damage to one of Benmore’s spectacular giant redwoods which was split in two, part of the widespread destruction which has dramatically altered Benmore’s landscape and required critical remedial works leaving areas of the Garden closed for many months.
Dr Julia Knights, regius keeper of Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh – which includes Benmore – said: “I am delighted that this sapling from the iconic Sycamore Gap tree will be planted here at Benmore.
“Nearly all life depends on plants and fungi, and both are key to our health, wellbeing, and connectivity to nature.
“As this sapling matures and grows it will stand as a living reminder of the importance of our natural world, and the urgent need to protect it, an urgency which drives our world-leading science and conservation work across our four botanic gardens in Scotland.”
For more than 150 years, the Sycamore Gap tree stood beside Hadrian’s Wall, becoming one of the most recognised and cherished trees in the UK.
Its sudden, senseless destruction was felt far beyond Northumberland.
“Thanks to the careful work of the National Trust, the tree’s genetic legacy was preserved, and a new generation of saplings now exists, ready to grow across fifteen of the UK’s most treasured landscapes, into the next chapter of that story.”
The sapling was planted in the grounds of Benmore House, in the shadow of a mature sycamore tree that dates back over 100 years, roughly the same age as the Sycamore Gap tree itself.