Argyle Street Ash

23/02/2026

Thank you to everyone who has followed this page over the last few months.

I will be taking a rest from posting on here. Please take some time to read through all the posts from the beginning in summer 2025.

Best wishes to you all

22/02/2026

If you haven’t already listened in to hear us discuss ash dieback, trees and buildings and why arborists should think twice about cutting trees down, here’s your chance…. 📻

The iconic lone ash tree on Glasgow’s Argyle Street won UK Tree of the Year last year and is now nominated for European Tree of the Year.

On Out of Doors this week, Mark looks up at the giant ash with arborist David Treanor and discovers why the 170-year-old tree is so important to the local community and beyond.

22/02/2026

A Tree That Changed My Life

As the European Tree of the Year campaign draws to a close I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to you all.

This journey began five years ago when I was first asked to inspect the tree by its owner.

After a few visits and some careful interventions I began to think more about its story.

My own curiosity about this tree mixed in with personal grief, loss, war and constant media doom led me to pin my heart to it, study it, believe in it and present its story as a counter narrative to loss — especially at a time when the Sycamore Gap story dominated headlines.

Over the last year, this journey has changed me.
It has introduced me to people I would never otherwise have met.
It has pushed me onto radio, television, into schools and onto podcasts.
It has forced me to articulate what I believe about trees — and about courage.

I loved it more, the more I explored its history and its story began to spread far and wide. Someone told me on Friday they were in Portugal on holiday and saw our tree on television there. It was the top article in the Uplifting Stories section of the BBC website last week. I felt very proud about that.

I believed in this tree enough to know it could win UK Tree of the Year.

But the deeper aim was always:
To increase understanding of a single tree in a way that might inspire appreciation, love and protection of all trees.

To show that ash dieback can be managed.

That trees near buildings are not inherently threats.

That fear should not be the default response.

In 15 years as an arborist, I have encountered thousands of trees.
This one has taught me the most.

It has taught me about resilience.
About patience.
About narrative.
And about the power of collective belief.

It has deepened my love for Glasgow.
It has made me proud to work on behalf of something larger than myself.

Most of all, it has shown me that when passion is not closed down by narrow-mindedness, it can be expressed in countless ways — science, art, history, community, humour and defiance.

Thank you to everyone who supported it, believed in it and shared its story.

And thank you — most of all — to the Argyle Street Ash.
A symbol of hope.
A defiant giant.
A teacher.

There’s enough in this journey for a book.
When I come to write it, what would your favourite chapter be?

21/02/2026

Our tree was being discussed this morning on BBC Radio Scotland’s Scotland Out of Doors programme.

I was grateful for the opportunity to discuss why our tree resists Ash dieback disease and how trees and buildings can coexist.

Hopefully this campaign will make people think twice about removing trees needlessly so they can mature and live to tell the stories that our tree has.

The segment is quite near the start of the programme at 3:15

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors.

20/02/2026

Thank you to the Hunterian for supporting Glasgow’s number one tree.

Voting for the European Tree of the Year ends on Sunday.

18/02/2026

During the U.K. Tree of the Year campaign, Paul Sweeney MSP shared a video about Glasgow’s number one tree that was viewed 250000 times! 🤯

As the European Tree of the Year’s only Urban Tree, our Defiant Giant deserves to have its story of resilience and survival told far and wide.

Voting ends on Sunday, so let’s do everything we can to spread the message.

12/02/2026

Please make sure that everyone who loves our tree casts their vote.

Please share with everyone you know and remember, if you share you must also write something in your post otherwise facebook won’t show it to your friends.

11/02/2026

Good news for a change…

I was glad to see the story of our tree place exactly where I wanted ot to be, at the top of the uplifting stories on the BBC website.

When I first explored its story myself, over a year ago now, I quickly realised this story could give us a different kind of news reel.

I deliberately positioned it as a counter narrative to loss in the shadow of the Sycamore gap trial.

In a world where history seems to be accelerating at a rapid pace, we all need stories of hope, resilience and survival.

We all need something to pin our hearts to.

07/02/2026

This morning the Argyle Street Ash appeared on BBC Breakfast — and it was a really powerful moment for our tree and for Glasgow 🌳

The Argyle Street Ash was the first tree in Glasgow to be given a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) in 1980 — a genuinely progressive decision for its time.

The story of this tree is ultimately a human one, but there is also an uncomfortable truth at its heart: it stands close to a building and it has ash dieback disease. Either of those facts — never mind both together — could have been used as justification to remove it.

Instead, this tree has been allowed to remain, to be cared for, and to continue to endure. In doing so, it quietly holds up a mirror to those who still cut down trees out of fear, convenience, profit, or poor judgement.

Below is a short video showing conservation and pruning to remove deadwood that has developed because of ash dieback — careful, considered work that helps keep our Defiant Giant safe, healthy, and standing. 🌿🌳

07/02/2026

Did anyone see our tree on the telly?

BBC Breakfast , Saturday 7th February. A segment by Lorna Gordon discussing the European tree of the Year and the Defiant Giant’s participation. It’s resisting ash dieback and has endured for 170 years but why do the people love it so much. European Tree of the Year