Donnie Williamson Forestry Career
Donnie Williamson (Forres) is looking over a map of Dalchork (Shin Forest) on a RSFS outing to North Scotland. Photograph by George Dey courtesy of his family.
Donnie has written a bit about his early days on the family farm during the early days of the war and he goes on:
‘Wartime timber production had been under way close to the north of our home, Coldholme Farm, Killen in the Black Isle, a smallholding of 80 acres.
It was a block of somewhat less than 100 acres of mature Scots Pine with a tiny smattering of larch and felling was going on apace. Huge swathes were felled and not immediately sned which even to the lesser learned seemed a foolhardy way of woodcutting as the felled trees lay higilty-pigilty one often crossing over the other.
I do believe the felling lads were recruited from the F.C. at the princely sum of 10d per hour which was at least 1d better than was to be got elsewhere. Their earlier timber experience was probably gained only in the preparation of fuel for the home fire. This leisure occupation tended to keep local woodlands free of dead or dying trees and not necessarily with the knowledge or agreement of the owners. High pruning was often undertaken using a rope with a weighted end which was thrown over the higher dead branches. If the branch had not yet reached the early removal stage then there was an effort penalty to pay and much sweat expended.
When at the advanced age of 15 a F.C. officer approached myself and my younger brother with an offer of 2/6 (12.5p) per bushel of cones it seemed that our coupon had come up. It was my first ever contract but failed to place me in the millionaire class. But we made some much desired pocket money’.
This story and that of his early days in the Forestry Commission and his work life afterwards are written up in the attached PDF. He gives a humorous but descriptive detail of nursery work in the Black Isle and the improvements in mechanical working that he initiated at that time.
Groups: Forest Nurseries, Forester Training Schools and Universities, Forestry Areas