Hazel

Hazel is widespread across Scotland, and common in many parts. It colonised the warming land soon after the last Ice Age, some ten thousand years ago, and low dense woodlands spread across the land to the Northern and Western coasts and islands. Over the centuries it receded under the effects of human activity and change of climate, but it remains common on some of the peninsulas and islands of the West Highlands and Inner Hebrides,and in the hills and farming country of the South-West and the East. In some places it is the dominant woodland, and in others it grows among Oak or other trees. Gaelic for woodland is ‘coille’, pronounced ‘cerlya’. It rarely exceeds five metres in height but is spreading in form and multi-stemmed, often one twisting and leaning main trunk with young straight stems, a habit recognised by people over centuries, who cut the trees to encourage lots of new straight stems for hurdle fencing, shepherds’ crooks and thatching support. Stems of new shoots and young trees are shiny and pale grey/brown, and bark of older trunks is pitted and peeling. Outer branches and twigs are maroon/brown to green, with green buds and tight pale green catkins – in Gaelic ‘caitean’. Leaves open in April - rounded bright green leaves, finely-toothed, with pointed tip, and soft and furry to the touch. The catkins are the male flowers, which grow in length and in colour to bright green and yellow in very early Spring, like tails or droplets on the Winter twigs. Soon after, some of the plump green buds reveal a little tuft of very bright pink/crimson – the female flower. The pollen from the male flowers reaches the female, and green nuts in pointy wee green shells follow, reaching ripe brown in Autumn. Squirrels and Wood-Mice and many birds eat the nuts, and they have been an important source of nourishment for people throughout history. The Gaelic for the Hazel nut is ‘cno’, pronounced ‘cro’, as in Srathcroe in Kintail. In tradition the Hazel is the tree of wisdom, and ‘cnocach’ is a Gaelic word meaning wisdom. The Hazel has been known as a tree of divination for thousands of years – finding water, marking holy wells, imparting wisdom. The Gaelic name can be seen in the place-names Barcaldine in Argyll – meaning Hazel Hill – and Carlton Hill in Edinburgh. The older name is ‘coll’, as in the Isle of Coll, and the Clan McColl, and the Hazel is the emblem of the Clan Colquhoun from Loch Lomond.