Fran Jacobs, member of Scone in Bloom,  moved into David Douglas Avenue, a new housing development in Scone,  some 8 years ago.

Intrigued by the name given to the avenue on which she now lived, she found that David Douglas was a great Victorian explorer and botanist who introduced  a thousand new plant species to Britain – including the now well known Douglas Fir – and whose life was deeply rooted in Scone. However, when the trees were planted on the estate a Douglas fir had not been included. Fran felt this was a shame. She started to ask questions but,  over a three year period,  her enquiries proved to be fruitless.

She had almost given up hope but, listening to a talk on the Perthshire Big Tree Country for ‘Bloomers’ at the Gleneagles Take a Pride in Perthshire AGM in 2009, Fran finally found her target! She was advised to contact Richard Brough, Tree and Woodland Officer at Perth and Kinross Council and Andrew Barrie at Perth & Kinross Countryside Trust,  who were invaluable in securing the Douglas Fir, which was eventually planted on the estate in March 2010.

Fran reports that the tree is now growing beautifully at the entrance to the estate. It is still small, but in time it will grow to be a specimen to be greatly admired and a memorial to the great explorer David Douglas.