This year the Michael Oak in Dalkeith Park is one of the 12 oaks nominated as the UK tree of the year. There are over 500 very old trees recorded including about 100 which are ancient and 300 veteran and the park is one of only three places in Scotland to have so many in one place.  It is probable that the trees were planted hundreds of years ago as a way of managing deer for hunting by the nobility from Holyrood Palace, by driving deer into the wedge shape between the North and South Esk rivers with trees blocking their escape at the sides.
The Michael Oak, is so named as a corruption of “meikle” meaning big, or perhaps named after the “Michael” which was an enormous warship and twice the size of any in England when launched over 500 years ago.  It has multiple stems and measures 10.3 m (33.8 feet)  round its girth at almost a metre up the trunk.  It was not easy to get a photo as part of an adjacent tree had recently fallen in front of it and the other side is high above the river.  
Each autumn sheets are laid beneath some of the oaks and the acorns are collected to be grown either in the park or at a local nursery and sent throughout Britain.
Unfortunately there is nothing to indicate the Michael Oak’s importance as it’s just off the footpath and almost hidden by other trees.