Jimmy Milne - Forest Ranger, Tummel Forest

Date Added: 21 December 2012 Contributor: Norman Davidson Year of Photo: 1988 Picture No: 1443

The photograph is courtesy of Ray Thomson who sent in the image and who says:

‘Attached is a photo of "Big Jimmy" Jimmy Milne - forest Ranger, taken by me about 1988 when I returned to visit. Photo was taken at Braes of Foss, Loch Tummel. I left the forestry in 1974. Jimmy was an absolute legend and while I was a very proficient rifle user, Jimmy's skills had to be seen to be believed. It is my understanding that he passed away peacefully in 2007’.

Any stories of Jimmy's prowess with the rifle would be very welcome.

Groups: Forestry Areas, Tools, equipment and clothing

1 Comment

Since Jimmy operated mostly alone in remote areas, very few people ever saw him actually culling deer. I was one of these few people as I worked directly under him and learned the skills. Jimmy was very ethical and did everything possible to avoid wounding a beast and he drummed all these principles into me relentlessly. He was a very good teacher. I recall once in 1973 I was " walking up" red deer along a march fence near Loch Bhac, Strath Tummel. Jimmy was positioned in ambush about 150 yards from the fence, when the deer came within his range he shot off 5 stags with 5 bullets using his bolt action . 308 rifle in about 10 seconds, picking off the leading stag with each shot. Each stag was cleanly shot all in the area of the heart. Extracting them was another story because in that era any shot deer had to be physically pulled by us to the nearest forestry road. Our only transport was Jimmy's grey Morris 1000 van and on rare occasions such as this one the Forestry Landrover was summoned to help remove the deer carcasses. When I left for pastures new in 1974, Jimmy wrote me out a good reference for any future employer and I still have the reference to this day.
Jimmy and his family stayed in the croft at Easter Bohespic, Tummelbridge and I often helped him out at the croft at weekends. I was recently in contact with another ex forestry workmates, Alan Drever whom I was able to find via this website and he confirmed that Jimmy began to suffer from Parkinson's disease about the Millenium and he passed away in 2007. I regret not having been to see Jimmy in these latter years and I remember him for the great and seemingly indestructible man that he was when I knew him. Comment left on 22 December 2012 at 08:38 by Ray Thomson

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