Sad story of the removal of an old Elm Tree 🌳

After the City of Edinburgh inspected the trees in the garden as part of the council's efforts to reduce the impact of Elm Disease in the city, we were advised of three trees which needed to be removed. You will have seen them marked in your walks around the gardens. 

This is the story of the Wych Elm marked No.1, the large tree in the lower lawns. 

Day One - 09:00am

The gentlemen getting setup for work, safety gear and ropes out for climbing the tree. Also checking chainsaws, and the the small tractor and trailer for taking the branches away. Max & Idris were the main people climbing the tree to cut branches.

 

Max initially climbed the tree and set up the safety ropes, spending most of the morning up there with snacks and drinks all on the harness.  Hard work...

Moving about the tree from branch to branch where needed to cut the next limb....

Max hanging about...

Cutting bigger branches...

Idris taking over in the afternoon..

  

The cutting was getting lower and lower. With some big limbs coming down...HARD!! [see video]

In this shot it looks like the limb is coming down on the worker....but all safe.

 

After many hours of felling and then cutting up the branches both large and small, then transporting them away to the chipper or the back of the van for removal.

The last large portion of the main trunk was then prepped and cut with much ado!  [see video]

Coming down for the end of day.

Then when all was cleared away and finished this was all that was left for the day.

Day One - 15:01pm

I hope to have more video of the last part of the trunk being felled. 

All pictures copyright to ©️Joe McAdam, Commissioner.