The ancient forests of Gordon Castle Estate
Mike Phillips, a former research head forester at Newton, published several papers during his career and in retirement. In the attached PDF Mike has researched all the literature, references and old maps that he can find on the forests of Gordon Castle, Fochabers in Moray and the ancient Forest of Enzie. Mike’s research takes us back to 1650 and then up to 20th century using the knowledge and experience of head forester Bob Allison. There is a fascinating insight into forestry in the 1700s with a page list of forest operations and some costs in records seen in the Scottish Records Office.
Mike writes:
‘Some recent research into the history of early planting of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L) on the Gordon Castle Estate at Fochabers, Morayshire uncovered a series of documents and maps which strongly suggest that the old trees are derived through seed gathered from the native pinewoods of Glenmore, which at that time were owned by the Duke of Gordon.
The Scottish Records Office in Edinburgh hold a letter under Register House Plan 2504 dated 16th Feb 1762 from William Bell, factor to the Gordon Estates, addressed to the Duke of Gordon in which he refers to the planting of 400,000 firs above the village of Fochabers in that year’.
Groups: Forest Research, Forestry Areas, Forestry Records, Booklets and Reports