Family's history in Scotland is focus of maze shaped in 5-pointed star: ‘Bringing it back to life’
Unique Murray Star Maze includes 2,000 beech trees and is half a mile long
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A maze in Scotland is shaped uniquely in a nod to a family’s decades-long history — and is today a favorite travel destination for many, especially during the spring and summer months.
The Murray Star Maze at Scone Palace in Scotland was planted in 1991 in the shape of a five-point star as a nod to the history of the Murray family — one of "the great families" of Scotland.
"As soldiers and statesmen, ambassadors and lawmakers, they have for centuries been close to the heart of Scottish affairs," the website of Scone Palace points out.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The maze includes 2,000 beech trees and is roughly half a mile long, per the Scone Palace.
An international maze designer named Adrian Fisher created the unique feature at the palace, making sure the center contained a statue to represent the water nymph Arethusa.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Murray Star Maze at the historic Scone Palace in Scotland is half a mile long. The maze includes 2,000 beech trees. (SWNS)
The Scone Palace notes that the maze’s shortest walk to the center for a view of Arethusa is only about 100 feet from the start — but good luck figuring out how to manage that.
The unique star shape of the maze, however, resembles the Earl of Mansfield’s family tartan, according to the Scone Palace — and is shaped with five points that were part of the family’s historical emblem.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Additionally, the area in which the maze is planted has a mixture of copper and green beech trees.
The head gardener at Scone Palace, Brian Cunningham, told British news service SWNS that he’s been taking care of the maze for the last 13 years.
The center of the maze has a statue of the water nymph Arethusa. (SWNS)
"You could blindfold me and spin me around, and I could make my way out of the left half," he joked.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He added, "But I must admit I’m still prone to getting lost on the right-hand side."
Cunningham said there’s only one way in and one way out of the maze — which is a bit of a secret, he added.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}As for upkeep, Cunningham said it takes him about two weeks to trim the hedges since the paths are narrow.
"To get the hedge clippings out, we’ve got to go in with wheelie bins," he said.
The star maze contains thousands of plants and hedges. (SWNS)
Cunningham and his team of gardeners work on other projects throughout the palace, noting that the maze is "great."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cunningham told SWNS the palace was built 220 years ago but was abandoned during World War I.
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"For the last 20 odd years, it’s just been grass, so we’re starting an ambitious project now to bringing it back to life," he added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We’re maintaining and developing this pretty remarkable garden and grounds around the palace."
Scone Palace gardeners work on the grounds, including the maze, all year long. (SWNS)
During the summer, the public can visit the Scone Palace seven days a week.
The grounds include gardens, plus a coffee and food spot.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Here, "nature awaits in abundance," says the palace's website. "There are no formal gardens at Scone, but 100 acres of woodland gardens with their borders, flowering shrubs and trees create a gloriously peaceful setting for strolling or picnicking."
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For more information on visiting Scone Palace in Perthshire, Scotland, and understanding its 1,000-plus years of history, anyone can check out scone-palace.co.uk.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News Digital reached out to Scone Palace for further comment.
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