‘Tree of Hope’ Iconic Sycamore Gap Sapling to Find its Home in National Park
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park joins a nationwide act of restoration, with the planting of a sapling from the felled Sycamore Gap tree at Benmore Botanic Garden on Thursday 26th March. The sapling has been named ‘Tree of Hope’, a powerful symbol of nature’s capacity to recover, connect, and inspire, the planting demonstrates how hope and collaboration can be born from the seeds of senseless destruction.
Grown from the Sycamore Gap tree which was felled in a callous act of vandalism in September 2023, the sapling will be planted at Benmore Botanic Garden on the Cowal peninsula, as part of a national effort to disperse the iconic tree’s living legacy across all fifteen UK National Parks. Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park is one of three Parks chosen for the first wave of plantings, alongside Northumberland, home to the original tree, and Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park reflecting the shared legacy of this story across all three nations, and the restorative power of nature.
Gordon Watson, Chief Executive of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority, said: “The planting of the Sycamore Gap saplings across our fifteen 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 of the sapling at Benmore Botanic Gardens in the National Park ensures the public will be able to connect with its powerful story and legacy for generations to come.”
The project, delivered by all fifteen UK National Parks in partnership with the National Trust, represents a collective demonstration of stewardship, highlighting the long-term role National Parks play in protecting landscapes, wildlife and cultural heritage for future generations.
The choice of Benmore Botanic Garden as Scotland’s planting site carries its own deep resonance. Selected not only for its magnificent mountainside setting and world-renowned expertise in the stewardship of plant collections, but Benmore has also experienced the loss of trees at profound scale and public significance.
Benmore was dramatically impacted during Storm Eowyn in 2025 when roughly 300 trees were uprooted and many more damaged by the storm. 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 Botanic Garden, commented “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: a place of connection, memory and shared identity. Its sudden, senseless destruction in September 2023 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 will be cared for as part of Benmore’s world-class living collection, managed by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, whose expertise and long-term commitment will ensure it flourishes. It will be 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. Visitors to Benmore will be able to encounter it directly, connecting with its story and with the natural world.