Officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest and tallest hedge in the world, Meikleour Beech Hedge in Scotland was first planted in autumn of 1745 by Robert Murray Nairne and his wife Jean Mercer to define the eastern border of their land.
The Tallest Hedge In the World: Meikleour Beech Hedge in Scotland
This European Beech hedge is measured at 1,771 feet or approximately 540 meters in length; and it averages 98 feet or 30 meters high — although its highest point is 118 feet or 36 meters tall.
The hedge is cut and measured every ten years by the Meikleour Trust in a complex operation that takes four men approximately six weeks using a hydraulic lift and hand-held cutting equipment. Cutting the hedge cost £90,000.00 back in 2019.
The men who planted it were purportedly called to fight in the Jacobite Rebellion. None of them returned alive — including Robert Murray Nairne. The trees were allowed to grow as a tribute; and the hedge acts as a living landmark to them.
Final Boarding Call
Meikleour Beech Hedge lines along Highway A93 just south of the village of Meikleour; is four miles south of Blairgowrie; and is ten miles north of Perth.
No admission is charged to visit Meikleour Beech Hedge; and the site is never closed to anyone who wants to visit it. No facilities are available at the site. No parking immediately close to the site is available.
All photographs ©2024 by Brian Cohen.
