Dunnet Forest Caithness — overview of planta
Photographs courtesy of John Keenleyside, Forres who took the photograph on a visit north in the mid 1950s.
This is a view over the plantation looking towards the township of Dunnet and the sea cliffs which lead around to Dunnet Head.
The trees appear to be mainly pine and most likely Lodgepole pine by the colour of the needles. The thick grass sward hides the base of the trees and impossible to see if they were planted on turfs. The density of surviving trees appears to be quite low but there is almost certainly many smaller trees hidden by the grass.
By this time the Forestry Commission had developed quite an expertise in stabilising and planting sand dune areas. Early work procedures in Scotland were trialled at Culbin Forest and again at Tentsmuir in Fife.
Moira Mackay believes that Donald McIntosh began his forester career in this forest while Hugh was there.
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Groups: Caithness and Sutherland, Forestry Areas
''The remark 'salt may be nice on crisps but not on trees' came back from Tom Peace Pathologist after I sent in samples of the dying trees. The sand damage was visible on the cambium but I did not realise at that point that it was the salt element that was killing them.
The D.G's party arrived at midnight on a June evening and grumbled that they had to strike a match to see the peat in the drains!!''
Comment left on 01 December 2014 at 08:43 by Norman Davidson