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Dule trees, or dool trees, in Scotland were used as
gallows A gallows (or less precisely scaffold) is a frame or elevated beam, typically wooden, from which objects can be suspended or "weighed". Gallows were thus widely used to suspend public weighing scales for large and heavy objects such as sa ...
for public hangings.Rodger, Donald, Stokes, John & Ogilve, James (2006). ''Heritage Trees of Scotland.'' The Tree Council. They were also used as
gibbet Gibbeting is the use of a gallows-type structure from which the dead or dying bodies of criminals were hanged on public display to deter other existing or potential criminals. Occasionally, the gibbet () was also used as a method of public ex ...
s for the display of the corpse for a considerable period after such hangings. These "trees of lamentation or grief" were usually growing in prominent positions or at busy thoroughfares, particularly at crossroads, so that justice could be seen to have been done and as a salutary warning to others. Place names such as Gallows-Hill, Gallows-See, Gallows-Fey and Hill of the Gallows (Tom Nan Croiche) record the site of such places of execution.Train, Joseph (1844). ''The Dule Tree of Cassillis.'' ''The Ayrshire Wreath MDCCCXLIV.'' Kilmarnock : R. Crawford & Son. pp. 40-46''Dalmally, Places of Historical Interest.'' Dalmally Historical Association.


Origins of the name

In Scots, or (many other spellings). In
Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman Conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English pe ...
, , , and variants of , , and . These words sorrow, grief, or mental distress, and derive from
Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...
, , from Vulgar Latin ("pain, grief"); compare also to French language">modern French French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. Like all other Romance languages, it descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. French evolved from Northern Old Gallo-Romance, a descendant of the Latin spoken in ...
''deuil'' ("mourning"). Doomsdales, variously written as 'Dimmisdaill' or 'Dymisdale' were the route to the Gallows Hill. Examples are recorded from Inverness and the Scottish Borders. In Scottish Gaelic, the gallows were known as , a term ultimately derived from Latin ("Crucifixion, cross").


History

A predecessor of such trees was the Roman '' furca'', a device for punishing or hanging slaves. The binomial expression 'furca and fossa' refers to
high justice High, middle and low justices are notions dating from Western feudalism to indicate descending degrees of judicial power to administer justice by the maximal punishment the holders could inflict upon their subjects and other dependents. The scale ...
, which included the capital penalty. The ''furca'' refers to the gallows for hanging men; the '' fossa'' ('pit') was a ditch for the drowning of women. Together, they were 'pit and gallows'. With the introduction to Scotland of the feudal system in the 12th century, pre-feudal Celtic tenures were transformed into holding from the Crown, and a number of these were held directly or in chief of the Crown and were held ''in liberam baroniam'' (in free barony), with high justice (i.e., with pit and gallows). In Scotland, trees were often used as gallows. These dule trees were also known as the 'Grief Tree', the 'Gallows Tree', the 'Justice Tree' and the 'Tree'. It is said that King Malcolm Canmore legislated in 1057 that every barony was to have a tree for hanging convicted men and a pit of water for the execution of convicted women. These baronies belonged to the same order as earls, and these earls and barons together formed the order of the three ''estaits'' of the Scots Parliament known as the baronage of Scotland. The barons sat in the Scots Parliament until 1587, when they were relieved from attendance, which was burdensome and costly. The right of pit and gallows was removed in 1747 by the
Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1746 The Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1746 (20 Geo. 2. c. 43) or the Sheriffs Act 1747 was an Act of Parliament (United Kingdom), act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed in the aftermath of the Jacobite rising of 1745 abolishing ...
, lesser powers continued to the twentieth century. Dule trees were also used by Highland chieftains, who would hang their enemies or any deserter, murderer, etc. from them. Highland clan chiefs also therefore had the power of 'life or death' over their clansmen in times gone by. The high ground on which these trees grew often became known as "gallows hills". It is not clear whether the
moot hill A moot hill or ''mons placiti'' (statute hill) is a hill or mound historically used as an assembly or meeting place, as a moot hall is a meeting or assembly building, also traditionally to decide local issues. In Early Middle Ages, early mediev ...
s (justice hills) were also the site of the gallows. Some of the place names suggest that they could have been, and many were certainly in a prominent position for the display of a corpse to warn others of the consequences of wrongdoing.
Medieval song (sung in the round)


The hill of lamentation

Paterson Paterson, James (1864). ''History of the Counties of Ayrs and Wigton.'' Pub. James Stillie. Edinburgh. Vol.II. P. 388. is taken by the idea that dule-trees were places where a clan met to bewail any misfortune that befell the community. He cites an example where the friends and adherents of David, first
Earl of Cassilis Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ''countess'' is used. The titl ...
, met at the Cassilis dule-tree to lament, for several days, his loss at the disastrous
Battle of Flodden The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton or Brainston Moor was fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland and resulted in an English victory ...
in 1513. Lawson also gives these details and states that the retainers used to assemble under the tree to make lamentation upon the death of their chief, implying it was an old custom and not a 'one off.'Lawson, Rev. R. (1885). ''Maybole Past and Present'' Pub. J. & R. Parlane, Paisley. P. 27.


The dule trees of Johnnie Armstrong and his men

James V James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV a ...
upon becoming king decided to restore order throughout the kingdom and its borders. With an army of 12,000 men he required all earls, lords, barons, freeholders, and gentlemen to meet at Edinburgh with a month's supplies, and then to proceed to
Teviotdale Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh () is a historic county and registration county in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It borders Dumfriesshire to the west, Selkirkshire and Midlothian to the northwest, and Berwickshire to the north. T ...
and Annandale. James offered safe conduct to
Johnnie Armstrong Johnnie Armstrong depicted in a 19th-century painting at the Newcastle_upon_Tyne.html" ;"title="Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne">Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne. ''Johnnie Armstrong'' or ''Johnie Armstrong'' was a Scottish rai ...
, the laird of Gilnockie, for a meeting in either Scotland or in England. Johnnie Armstrong commanded powerful forces and from the Scots border to Newcastle of England most estates were obliged to pay tribute to him. When Johnnie came into the King's presence, there was no trial, just a hanging of Johnnie and his men in the trees of
Caerlanrig Caerlanrig - also spelled 'Carlenrig' - ( Gaelic: ''Cathair Lannraig'') is a hamlet in the parish of Cavers, Borders, Scotland, lying on the River Teviot, 6 miles (10 km) north east of that river's source, and 10 miles (16 km) sout ...
churchyard. The trees are said to have withered and died 'for shame' and that the same has happened to any trees planted since. Johnnie is said to have shouted to James, "I have asked grace at a graceless face." This peremptory execution weakened rather than strengthened James's authority in the borders.


Surviving examples

These trees were often close to the residence of the lord or clan chief and one of the best known dule trees stands within the grounds of
Leith Hall Leith Hall is a country house in Kennethmont, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was built in 1650, on the site of the medieval Peill Castle, and was the home of the Leith-Hay family for nearly three centuries. Since 1945 it has been run by the N ...
, near
Huntly, Aberdeenshire Huntly ( or ''Hunndaidh'') is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, formerly known as Milton of Strathbogie or simply Strathbogie. It had a population of 4,460 in 2004 and is the site of Huntly Castle. Its neighbouring settlements include Keith, M ...
. This tree, a sycamore (''
Acer pseudoplatanus ''Acer pseudoplatanus'', known as the sycamore in the British Isles and as the sycamore maple in the United States, is a species of maple native to Central Europe and Western Asia. It is a large deciduous, broad-leaved tree, tolerant of wind an ...
''), was used as a natural gibbet and a means for publicly carrying out feudal justice. The strong timber, not prone to snapping, made this a favoured species for this purpose. Leith Hall dates from about 1650 and the tree was possibly planted shortly after this. A rather gaunt and heavily branched tree, the trunk measures 116 cm in diameter. At
Cessnock Castle Cessnock Castle is a 15th-century keep greatly enlarged into a baronial mansion, about south east of Galston, East Ayrshire, Scotland, and south of the River Irvine.Coventry, Martin (1997) ''The Castles of Scotland''. Goblinshead. p.117 History ...
near
Galston, East Ayrshire Galston (Scots language, Lowland Scots: ''Gauston'', Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile nan Gall'') is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland, which has a population of 4,710 (United Kingdom Census 2021, 2022) and is at the heart of the Parishes of Scotland, c ...
is a dule tree, a gnarled specimen of ''Castanea sativa'' -
sweet chestnut The sweet chestnut (''Castanea sativa''), also known as the Spanish chestnut or European chestnut, is a species of tree in the family Fagaceae, native to Southern Europe and Asia Minor, and widely cultivated throughout the temperate world. A ...
. An old beech tree is still known as a 'gallows tree' and grows in an exposed position near
Monikie Monikie is a village and civil parish in Angus, Scotland, north-east of Dundee. History The village grew from small beginnings as just one of many hamlets. The other large village in the parish is Newbigging. Because of the siting of the Railway ...
in Angus. The dule tree at Cassillis Castle in
South Ayrshire South Ayrshire (; , ) is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire. South Ayrshire had an estimated population in 2021 of 112,45 ...
was blown down in a great storm during the winter of 1939-40 and when the rings on its trunk were counted, it was found to be about 200 years old. A new dule tree, grown from a cutting taken from the old one, a plane tree or
sycamore maple ''Acer pseudoplatanus'', known as the sycamore in the British Isles and as the sycamore maple in the United States, is a species of maple native to Central Europe and Western Asia. It is a large deciduous, broad-leaved tree, tolerant of wind an ...
, now stands on the original site. John or Johnny Faa,
King of the Gypsies The title King of the Gypsies has been claimed or given over the centuries to many different people. It is both culturally and geographically specific. It may be inherited, acquired by acclamation or action, or simply claimed. The extent of the ...
is said to have been hanged from the Cassillis Dule Tree, together with some of his supporters.Robertson, Wiliam (1908). ''Ayrshire. Its History & Historic Families''. Vol.2. Grimsay Press. P. 25.Lawson, Rev. R. (1885). ''Maybole Past and Present'' Pub. J. & R. Parlane, Paisley. P. 26. On the Water of Minnoch is a deep pool known as the 'murder hole' in which a family from Rowantree dumped their victims; they were caught, confessed and were the last to be hanged on the dule tree. The author
Joseph Train Joseph Train (6 November 1779 – 7 December 1852) was a Scottish excise officer, antiquarian, writer and poet. He corresponded with Sir Walter Scott, and his local knowledge provided Scott with ideas for his novels. Life Train was born in 1779 at ...
records however that at the last ''shire-mote'' ever held in Carrick by the Earl of Cassillis, the MacKillups of Craingenreach were hanged on the dule tree of Cassillis circa 1746, having murdered a neighbour and thrown his remains into "the common murder hole of the Bailiery at Craigenreach".
Kilkerran House Kilkerran House is an 18th-century private house near Maybole, Ayrshire, Scotland. It is a category A listed building set within grounds included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland. The name Kilkerran relates Campbelto ...
in South Ayrshire has a dule tree in its grounds. The ancient sycamore that stands in the shadow of Blairquhan Castle, near
Straiton Straiton is a village on the River Girvan in South Ayrshire in Scotland. It lies in the hills between Kirkmichael, Dalmellington, Crosshill, and Maybole. Straiton was mainly built in the 18th century to house mill workers and weavers workin ...
,
South Ayrshire South Ayrshire (; , ) is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire. South Ayrshire had an estimated population in 2021 of 112,45 ...
is thought to be a dule tree, planted early in the 16th century during the reign of King James V of Scotland. The moss-covered trunk has a girth of 5.6 metres (18 feet 4 inches), and is completely hollow, with only a very thin outer shell of sound wood supporting the tree. The once spreading crown was heavily pruned in 1997 in an effort to preserve the fragile shell and prevent the much-weakened trunk from total collapse. Vigorous new growth is now establishing a new, smaller crown. Near the village of Logierait in
Perthshire Perthshire (Scottish English, locally: ; ), officially the County of Perth, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore, Angus and Perth & Kinross, Strathmore ...
is the hollow ash tree of the Boat of Logierait, which, 63 feet in height and 40 in girth at 3 feet from the ground, is said to have been ` ''the dool tree of the district, on which caitiffs and robbers were formerly executed, and their bodies left hanging till they dropped and lay around unburied.'' ' An example may still exist at Bargany in South Ayrshire where a
European ash ''Fraxinus excelsior'', known as the ash, or European ash or common ash to distinguish it from other types of Fraxinus, ash, is a flowering plant species in the olive family Oleaceae. It is native throughout mainland Europe east to the Caucasus ...
(''Fraxinus excelsior''), served the role of the baronial dule tree. An example is said to survive at Douglas Castle, located around 1 km north-east of the village of
Douglas, South Lanarkshire Douglas () is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located on the south bank of the Douglas Water and on the A70 road that links Ayr, on the West coast of Scotland, to Edinburgh on the East, around 12 miles south west of Lanark. The ...
aka
Castle Dangerous ''Castle Dangerous'' (1831) was the last of Walter Scott's Waverley novels. It is part of '' Tales of My Landlord, 4th series'', with '' Count Robert of Paris''. The castle of the title is Douglas Castle in Lanarkshire, and the action, based on ...
of Sir Walter Scott's novel of that name. Smith records in 1895 that the stump of the dule tree at Newark Castle was carefully preserved.Smith, John (1895) Prehistoric man in Ayrshire. Pub. Elliot Stock. London. P. 182. Hangman's Elm, or simply the "hanging tree", is an English
elm Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus ''Ulmus'' in the family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical- montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ...
located in New York City, over 300 years old. Traitors are said to have been hanged at this location during the American Revolutionary War. Later, the Marquis de Lafayette is said to have witnessed the 'festive' hanging of 20 highwaymen here in 1824.


Previous sites of old dule trees

In 1685 two Covenanters, Thomas Gordon and Alexander McCubbin, were hanged on an oak tree near Kirkpatrick Irongray in Dumfries and Galloway. The tree is said to have never produced another leaf after the execution. In the 1830s, a gallows-tree still stood in the Edinburgh grass-market, surrounded by the actual scaffold with a ladder leaning against the structure for the ascent. Auchendrane castle also (Auchindraine) in South Ayrshire sits on the banks of the
River Doon The River Doon (, ) is a river in Ayrshire, Scotland. Its course is generally north-westerly, passing near to the town of Dalmellington, and through the villages of Patna, Dalrymple, and Alloway, birthplace of Robert Burns. The source of the D ...
and had a famous dule tree, long ago blown down in furious gale. This tree was an ash and stood in front of the castle; described as being one of the finest trees in the district. The last Mure of Auchendrane was arrested for non-payment of a small debt and the bailiff, out of compassion, offered to settle the debt in exchange for the dule tree. The Laird of Auchendrane replied that he would rather rot to death in the worst dungeon than sell the dule tree of Auchendrane.Robertson, William (1908). Ayrshire. Its History and Historic Families. Pub. Dunlop and Drennan. Kilmarnock. Vol.I. P. 188.Paterson, James (1864). ''History of the Counties of Ayrs and Wigton.'' Pub. James Stillie. Edinburgh. Vol.II. P.388. Another version of its fate is that it was cut down and sold to a cabinet maker in
Maybole Maybole (, ) is a town and former burgh of barony and police burgh in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It had an estimated population of in . It is situated south of Ayr and southwest of Glasgow by the Glasgow and South Western Railway. The town is ...
who made a chest of drawers out of it.Paterson, James (1864). ''History of the Counties of Ayrs and Wigton.'' Pub. James Stillie. Edinburgh. Vol.II. P.392. It is marked on Andrew Armstrongs 1775 map of Ayrshire. Hunterston castle near
West Kilbride West Kilbride () is a village and historic parish in North Ayrshire, Scotland, on the west coast by the Firth of Clyde, looking across the Firth of Clyde to Goat Fell and the Isle of Arran. West Kilbride and adjoining districts of Seamill and P ...
had a dule known as the 'hanging tree' or 'resting tree'. It was an ash and stood near to the gardens on the line of the old road between Fairlie and West Kilbride. An oak tree was planted to replace it. A legend of a beautiful lady fairy is also associated with this dule tree.Love, Dane (2009). ''Legendary Ayrshire. Custom : Folklore : Tradition''. Auchinleck : Carn Publishing. . p. 78 Newark Castle near the River Doon in South Ayrshire (old Carrick) had a dule-tree near its grand stair. It was an ash measuring about 15 feet circumference and it had five principal branches.Paterson, James (1864). ''History of the Counties of Ayrs and Wigton.'' Pub. James Stillie. Edinburgh. Vol.II. P. 387 - 388. Evelix Farmhouse
regality A burgh of regality is a type of Scottish town. They were distinct from royal burghs as they were granted to "Lords of Regality, lords of regality", leading noblemen. (In distinction, burgh of barony, burghs of barony were granted to a tenant-in- ...
Court-House and gallows tree in the parish of
Dornoch Dornoch (; ; ) is a town, seaside resort, parish and former royal burgh in the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray Firth to the east. ...
. According to the farmer at Evelix the gallows tree stood until recently in a niche in a wall nearby.RCAHMS Canmore archaeology site
/ref> The Victoria Bridge,
Crathie Crathie () is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It stands on the north bank of the River Dee. Abergeldie Castle is away. It was built around 1550 and had 19th century additions. It was garrisoned by General Hugh Mackay in 1689. Crathi ...
and
Braemar Braemar is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, around west of Aberdeen in the Highlands. It is the closest significantly-sized settlement to the upper course of the River Dee, sitting at an elevation of . The Gaelic ''Bràigh Mhàrr'' p ...
in Aberdeenshire has an old Scots pine tree that stands on the south side of the road leading to Mar Lodge, and to the west of the bridge. This was traditionally the gallows tree for the barony. Tushielaw Tower gallows tree, parish of Ettrick in the Scottish borders. The tree was an ash tree in the ruins of Tushielaw Tower on which Adam Scott, the 'King of the Thieves', was hanged on the orders of James V. Lynstock near
Abernethy, Perth and Kinross Abernethy is a village and former burgh in the Perth and Kinross council area and historic county of Perthshire, in the east central Lowlands of Scotland. The village is situated in rural Strathearn, south-east of the city of Perth, near the ...
. An ancient fir still stood in the 20th-century when it was thought to be over 300 years old. At a height of 12 feet from the ground it had a strong projecting bough, and it is said that it was from it that the noose cord or was hung. There were marks of graves at the foot of the tree, tradition says of two brothers, as stated by the reverend, Grant, and therefore the tree is sometimes called the "tree of the brothers." The Gallowshill across the main road from Rossdhu House, home of the chiefs of the
Clan Colquhoun Clan Colquhoun ( ) is a Highland Scottish clan. History Origins of the clan The lands of the clan Colquhoun are on the shores of Loch Lomond. During the reign of Alexander II, Umphredus de Kilpatrick received from Malduin, Earl of Len ...
, marks the site of their "dule-tree."Rhossdhu House.
 Tom Nan Croiche (Hill of the Gallows) lies above the village of Dalmally in Glenorchy, Argyll and Bute. A tree still marks the spot and it is recorded that the condemned men sometimes had to carry their own gibbet or gallows up the hill and the hole where the post was placed still exists. A tree on the site was sometimes used. Unusually a hangman's house once stood near the spot.


Local history

Place names are usually a fairly reliable source of information about past events and activities, as with names such as Gallowayford at Kennox House in
North Ayrshire North Ayrshire (, ) is one of 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas in Scotland. The council area borders Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to the northeast, and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east and s ...
near
Chapeltoun Chapeltoun is an estate on the banks of the Annick Water in East Ayrshire, a rural area of Scotland famous for its milk and Dunlop cheese, cheese production and the Ayrshire cattle, Ayrshire or Dunlop breed of cattle. Templeton and the Knights ...
. It is known that a gallows was situated here; however, it cannot be proved that a dule tree was involved. Law Mount is a common name for small earth mounds, frequently in prominent positions, such as the example near
Lambroughton Lambroughton is a village in the old Barony of Kilmaurs, Scotland. This is a rural area famous for its milk and cheese production and the Ayrshire cattle, Ayrshire or Dunlop breed of cattle. Although Kilmaurs is in the council area of East Ayrs ...
, Stewarton in North Ayrshire. Public hangings took place on these 'laws' or 'moot hills', some of which are or were wooded. Gallows-Knowe in
Kilmarnock Kilmarnock ( ; ; , ), meaning "the church of Mernóc", is a town and former burgh in East Ayrshire situated in southwest Scotland. The town has served as the administrative centre of East Ayrshire Council since 1996 and is the region's main ...
,
East Ayrshire East Ayrshire (; ) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. The headquarters of the council are located on London Roa ...
was the site of the gallows for the baronial court of the Boyds of
Dean Castle Dean Castle is a 14th century castle located in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the stronghold for the Boyd Family, who were lords of Kilmarnock for over 400 years, and is situated in a site situated within the Dean Castle Country P ...
. Gallow Law is a hill overlooking Newmilns in East Ayrshire.


Dule trees in literature

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...
's Waverley novel ''
Guy Mannering ''Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer'' is the second of the Waverley novels by Walter Scott, published anonymously in 1815. According to an introduction that Scott wrote in 1829, he had originally intended to write a story of the supernatural, ...
'' features a "Justice Tree" at the Castle of Ellangowan. The corpses of murderers were gibbeted and eventually buried at crossroads so that their spirits would be "bound" there. The living took pains to prevent the dead from wandering the land as lost souls – or even as animated corpses, for the belief in
revenant In folklore, a revenant is a spirit or animated corpse that is believed to have been revived from death to haunt the living. The word ''revenant'' is derived from the Old French word (see also the related French verb ). Revenants are part o ...
s was widespread in mediæval Europe. ''
Weir of Hermiston ''Weir of Hermiston'' is an 1896 unfinished novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. It is markedly different from his previous works in style and has often been praised as a potential masterpiece. It was cut short by Stevenson's sudden death in 1894 ...
'', an unfinished novel by
Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...
, makes reference to a dule-tree. "The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral", a ghost story by
M.R. James Montague Rhodes James (1 August 1862 – 12 June 1936) was an English Medieval studies, medievalist scholar and author who served as provost (education), provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–1918), and of Eton College (1918–1936) as w ...
, tells what became of the wood of a dule tree in the fictional town of Barchester, the tree having been known as 'the Hanging Oak'. A Scottish ballad, "The Wronged Mason," tells of one Lambert Lamkin who is hanged on the dule-tree of Balwearie Castle in Fife. "The Dule Tree" was published in 2004 by Finavon Print in association with the Elphinstone Institute, to mark the end of
Sheena Blackhall Sheena Blackhall is a Scottish poet, novelist, short story writer, illustrator, traditional story teller and singer. Author of over 180 poetry pamphlets, 15 short story collections, 4 novels and 2 televised plays for children, The Nicht Bus an ...
's residency as Creative Writer in Scots at the University of Aberdeen. ''The Black Douglas'' (1899) by
S. R. Crockett Samuel Rutherford Crockett (24 September 1859 – 16 April 1914), who published under the name "S. R. Crockett", was a Scottish novelist. Life and work He was born at Balmaghie, Little Duchrae, Balmaghie, Kirkcudbrightshire, Galloway, on 24 S ...
(1859–1914) has the line ''and let that wight remember that the Douglas does not keep a dule tree up there by the Gallows Slock for nothing.
Girvan Girvan (, "mouth of the River Girvan") is a burgh and harbour town in Carrick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Girvan is situated on the east coast of the Firth of Clyde, with a population of about 6,450. It lies south of Ayr, and north of St ...
was the site of the "Hairy Tree." According to legend, the Hairy Tree was planted by
Sawney Bean Alexander "Sawney" Bean (sometimes also given as Sandy Bane, etc.) is a legendary figure, said to have been the head of a 45-member clan in Scotland in the 16th century that murdered and cannibalised over 1,000 people in 25 years. According to ...
's eldest daughter in the town's Dalrymple Street. The daughter was implicated with the rest of the family in their incestuous and cannibalistic activities and was hanged by locals from the bough of the tree she herself planted. According to local legend, one can hear the sound of a swinging corpse while standing beneath its boughs. The 1844 edition of the ''Ayrshire Wreath'' contains the story of the Dule Tree of Cassillis and its last victims.


See also

*
Drowning pit A drowning pit, drowning pool, murder-pool or murder hole (not to be confused with defensive murder holes) was a well or pond specifically for executing women and girls (for males the dule tree or gibbet was used) under Scottish feudal laws. R ...
* Hanging tree (United States) * Jail tree *
Dooley Dooley is an Irish surname. It is derived from the Gaelic ''Ó Dubhlaoich'' meaning 'descendant of Dubhlaoch', a given name composed of the elements ''dubh'' 'Black, pale' and ''laoch'' 'warrior, Champion. Champions later called Knights . Notable ...
*
Revenant (folklore) In folklore, a revenant is a spirit or animated corpse that is believed to have been revived from death to haunt the living. The word ''revenant'' is derived from the Old French word (see also the related French verb ). Revenants are part of ...
*
Gibbet Gibbeting is the use of a gallows-type structure from which the dead or dying bodies of criminals were hanged on public display to deter other existing or potential criminals. Occasionally, the gibbet () was also used as a method of public ex ...
* The Hangman (poem) *
Moot hill A moot hill or ''mons placiti'' (statute hill) is a hill or mound historically used as an assembly or meeting place, as a moot hall is a meeting or assembly building, also traditionally to decide local issues. In Early Middle Ages, early mediev ...


References


External links


Hill of the Gallows or Tom Nan Croiche, Dalmally

Leith Dule Tree





The Blairquhan Dule Tree
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070308134051/http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-6U8FPJ , date=2007-03-08 Capital punishment in Scotland Trees * Execution equipment