A named, long-standing tree carried in local memory as a landmark — included for its place in the landscape, with age and superlative claims held for verified sourcing.
Queen Mary’s Thorn is a named hawthorn in Fife, Scotland.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
What to look for
-
A living tree: view without climbing, damaging bark, compacting roots, or crossing private boundaries.
What is said
Folklore and tradition, recorded as what is said — not as established fact.
-
Local and modern accounts associate this named tree with older Scottish memory; the page records the association only as what is said, not as proof of an event or date.
Plan your visit
- Location
- General area near Fife, Fife
- Nearest settlement
- Fife
- Access
- Reached on a public path
- What survives
- Living-tree condition and access should be checked against current local guidance before any visit copy is expanded.
This is a sensitive or fragile site, so we show only its general area. Please check official heritage sources for access before visiting, and take care not to disturb it.
Nearby places
Building or ruin · Pictish & early medieval
St Andrews Cathedral
Fife
The Cathedral of St Andrew was founded in 1158 to provide more accommodation than the older church of St Regulus (St Rule) afforded, and became the…
- Near St Andrews
- 6 min walk from car park
Fortified place · Medieval
St Andrews Castle
Fife
It is one of Scotland's most storied castles, residence of the bishops of the medieval church capital and a flashpoint of the Reformation, where Ca…
Fortified place · Medieval
Dairsie Castle
Fife
A stronghold of the bishops of St Andrews that hosted a medieval Scottish parliament and sheltered the young James VI, later rebuilt from ruin.
Sources
- Wikidata entity (accessed 2026-07-11)
Explore more: Ancient trees · Medieval · Fife
The Ancient Codex, in your pocket
Get the Pocket Codex app
Carry the directory with you — Queen Mary's Thorn and thousands of ancient places across Britain and Ireland, offline, wherever you roam.