By Dave Lord

THE SCOTS tree under which local legend claims Pontius Pilate played as a child is to be handed a futuristic role as it is used to create the world’s first DNA yew hedge, it was revealed yesterday.

The Fortingall Yew, in a churchyard in Glen Lyon, Perthshire, is estimated to be up to 5000 years old, making it Europe’s oldest living thing.

According to legend, Pontius Pilate —later to become the all-powerful Roman Procurator of Judea—was born beneath its shady canopy and played there as a child growing up in a remote Roman outpost in Scotland.

Clippings from the ancient tree, along with those of other famous yews, will now be taken to form part of the innovative DNA yew hedge to be grown at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh.

The mile-long hedge will contain more than 2500 genotypes of yew-tree specimens from the DNA of ancient trees across the UK, including 20 from Scotland, and from parts of the world where it is becoming endangered.

Yew trees (Taxus baccata) are increasingly sought after worldwide by major pharmaceutical companies because their bark can be harvested for taxol, a powerful anti-cancer drug.

Massive tree-felling to meet the demand, as well as the danger of disease, means it has become increasingly urgent for horticulturists to preserve the DNA.

The yew tree is a killer as well as a saviour and has been worshiped and feared in equal measures over thousands of years.

Warriors used them to make longbows and smeared poison from the tree on to arrowheads causing paralysis and then death to their enemies.

However, the evergreen conifer was also held as sacred by druids because of its symbolism of death and rebirth and revered by the Celts for its magical properties.

Tom Christian, who is heading the Yew Conservation Hedge Project, said, “This will draw attention to a species which is involved in the fight against cancer.

“But what we don’t know is that there may be a yew species which has mutated which could produce an even more powerful drug which may be a cure for HIV.

“This project is so important because it means we will be holding all this DNA information as a unique ‘living’ resource which can also be used for scientific research.”

The project is costing approximately £50,000 and will be funded from the garden’s own budget and through on-going fund-raising.

Dr David Rae, director of horticulture at the garden, said, “These heritage yew trees have quietly witnessed some highly significant events in history.

“We will be putting up learning boards on both sides of the hedge telling people their stories and other interesting facts.”

Many episodes of historical intrigue are believed to have been conducted under the yew trees, which form a shady canopy down to the ground.

The heritage yews forming part of the new DNA yew hedge at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh are being taken from a number of famous trees throughout the UK.

The Scottish ones include the 1000-year-old ‘King Tree’ at Loch Lomond, where Robert the Bruce assembled his troops in 1306 and the 700-year-old ‘Auld Yew Tree’ at Loudoun Castle in Ayrshire, where tradition has it the Act of Union was drawn up in 1707.

Although protected by a low wall, the Fortingall Yew can still be viewed and is in fairly good health.