Finhaven Chestnut

Given that the Finhaven Chestnut was destroyed by frost in 1740, this posthumous tree portrait has a strongly antiquarian-like aspect. Like other famous trees, the Finhaven Chestnut had a rich mythology. Some estimated it was over 500 years old, while others asserted that it grew from a chestnut discarded by a Roman soldier. Such specimens were of particular interest to agricultural improvers and naturalists who drew on ancient history, botanical surveys and a rich body of oral tradition in their efforts to construct a speculative history of Scottish woodland.