The Four Disciples of Malleny

There were twelve of them once, and in 1961 eight were cut down. The four that survive in the walled garden at Malleny are known as the Four Disciples, and both the City of Edinburgh Council and the Ancient Yew Group think they are nearly 400 years old. The original dozen were the apostles. You will also find them called the Four Apostles or the Four Evangelists, depending on who is telling it. They are clipped, which is what makes them strange. A yew left alone at this age goes broad and ragged. These four are kept as tall, dense, rounded columns, so four trees close to four centuries old look like furniture the size of a house. Nobody has published a girth for any of them. Why eight were felled in 1961 our sources do not say. The garden belongs to the National Trust for Scotland and sits on the edge of Balerno, at the south-western foot of the city. Entry is paid for non-members and opening is seasonal, so check the Trust's own page before you set out. Once inside, you cannot miss them. They stand together in the middle of the walled garden, four dark green shapes over the borders.