Featuring giant redwood / giant sequoia. Verified occurrence recorded by Redwood World. A discovery of three Giant Redwoods along the border of Balmacaan Wood means there may well be more lurking deeper in the woods ready to be found on a future longer exploration. The first had sadly lost its top in what looks to have been a fairly dramatic lightening strike. The other two trees are further down the track, standing on either side and one having a rather peculiar feature where it has wrapped itself over and around a small branch. This has to be taken into account when measuring its girth, nevertheless it is one of the biggest measured by Redwood World and easily in the top ten of the broadest Top Trunks . When measuring its partner across the track, although not such a wide beastie, it became apparent that this was one would be in the top thirty of the tallest Redwoods measured by us but not quite tall enough to earn a place on the Tallest Top Trunks table. This trip to Scotland was certainly living up to expectations so far!
Visit information
- Access
- Access unknown
- Last verified
- 10 Apr 2026
- Official site
- redwoodworld.co.uk/picturepages/drumnadrochit2.htm
Redwood species here
Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume and have thrived in the UK's mild, wet climate, often growing faster than in parts of their native range. Many Victorian-era plantings now rival mature specimens in California.
Present. Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume
Field observations
Photos
-
Redwood at Drumnadrochit - Balmacaan Wood
About this place
About Drumnadrochit - Balmacaan Wood
Drumnadrochit - Balmacaan Wood is located in Drumnadrochit, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Species Present
Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)
Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume and have thrived in the UK's mild, wet climate, often growing faster than in their native range. Many Victorian-era plantings now rival mature specimens in California.
Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
The tallest trees on Earth, coast redwoods can exceed 100 metres in their native California. Less common in Britain than giant sequoias, they prefer sheltered, moist locations and can still reach impressive heights in the UK. The tallest known coast redwood in Britain is over 50 metres.
Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
A deciduous conifer thought to be extinct until rediscovered in a remote Chinese province in 1941. Seeds were distributed to botanical gardens worldwide in the late 1940s. Unlike its evergreen relatives, the dawn redwood loses its needles in winter, turning a striking copper-bronze in autumn.
Data sourced from Redwood World (redwoodworld.co.uk) and enriched by Redwood Finder.