European Tree of The Year

Now in its fifteenth year, Tree of the Year has been searching for trees across Europe with the most interesting stories. This year's UK entry, the Skipinnish Oak, placed 7th in the international competition.

The winner of UK Tree of the Year 2024 was an oak in Lochaber, Scotland. Our national contest celebrated magnificent oaks, each with a fascinating story to tell, and incredible benefits for wildlife, people and the environment. 

This magnificent 400-year-old tree stands tall in an airy clearing amid a dark spruce plantation in the heart of Lochaber, Scotland. Impressive in stature and history, it's one of the largest oaks in the region and a local treasure, partially named after the renowned Scottish Celtic band. This amazing tree is also a crucial part of the ecosystem and hosts diverse lichens including the rare black-eyed Susan, which is seldom found outside the west of Scotland.

The results are in

The Skipinnish Oak was pitted against 14 other trees that had won national contests around Europe, but only one can be crowned European Tree of the Year 2025.

Following online voting in February, the results were announced on 19 March. The Skipinnish Oak was 7th with 16,771 votes.

• 1st place: Heart of the Dalkowskie Hills from Poland, 147,553 votes
• 2nd place: The Lovers Banyan Tree from Portugal, 43,427 votes
• 3rd place: Pino de Juan Molinera from Spain, 36,873 votes

Help protect our oldest trees

Tree of the Year competitions aim to highlight how vital trees are for our landscapes and our lives. But our woods and trees - recognised as a real force in combatting climate change and biodiversity loss - are under greater threat than ever before. Many of the UK's oldest and most valuable trees have no legal protection. Together, we can stand up for these living legends.