History

Scotland is a land of ancient clans and mighty castles, where great battles took place and where a rich, unique culture developed from a maelstrom of influences, including the Picts, Gaels, Vikings and others. Our main planting area, at the Forest of the Glens, is set in the heart of the country and is surrounded by historical sites of interest.

Rob Roy MacGregor

Close to the Forest of the Glens lies Balquhidder, resting place of Rob Roy – Scotland’s very own Robin Hood. Rob Roy, real name Robert Roy MacGregor, was a rebel soldier who fought in the Jacobite Wars of the 18th century. Later on in life he became a respected cattle herder however, after defaulting on a loan from a powerful baron, he was branded an outlaw.

Thereafter Rob Roy spent his days fighting a bloody and savage feud with the baron, much romanticized in later years, but ultimately ending in his imprisonment. His grave can be seen to this day in the picturesque hamlet of Balquhidder.

William Wallace, Guardian of Scotland

Perhaps the greatest hero in Scottish history, Sir William Wallace, may also have passed along the ancient drove roads near the Forest of the Glens. The nearest village, Comrie, sits at the confluence of three rivers, the Earn, the Lednock and Ruchill, giving it a certain geographic significance that the great warrior may have made use of.

Wallace lived in 13th century Scotland, at a time when it was dominated by the soldiers of Edward Longshanks, King of England. With fierce determination and brutal efficiency, Wallace led an army that won success after success against the English in his efforts to set Scotland free.

In an age of feudal warfare, when armies were largely formed from bands of peasants under orders from their landowners and various groupings of knights and men-at-arms, none uniform in organisational structure, Wallace demonstrated his remarkable generalship and perhaps also his knowledge of more ancient cultures by organising his army into decimal units, grouping men into tens, hundreds and thousands. The army Wallace led was certainly a disciplined and well organised force.

The English were enraged by the actions of Wallace and his army, and made every attempt to capture him and destroy his followers. Regrettably, toward the end of summer in 1305, a traitorous Scottish knight handed Wallace over to the English king. Wallace’s legacy was long lasting and his story was eventually turned into a Hollywood blockbuster starring Australian actor Mel Gibson, in Braveheart.