Inverinan Forest Nursery circa 1963
Photograph taken by Don MacCaskill and image courtesy of Bridget MacCaskill, Strathyre. Don was based as Head Forester at Inverinan from about 1960 through to 1968 before transferring initially to Allean Forest and then Strathyre Forest in 1972.
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No information was attached to the photograph but with help from Duncan MacDougall, Inverinan, this has been identified as Inverinan Forest Nursery and workers from L – R are possibly: Murdo MacInnes, Unidentified, Jock McPhie (not certain) and Hamish MacDonald all firming up the soil against the roots of the trees in the lining out boards with their booted feet after the plough had turned the soil against the board.
Duncan also described the buildings seen in the back ground which are on the public road. On the extreme left can be seen part of semi detached house (part of a block of two semidetached houses) and further right another block of two semi detached houses. These were Forestry Worker Poultry Holdings built in 1936 each with quarter acre poultry runs which enabled them to be classed as Agricultural Holdings and liable for 50% discounted council rates.
The next one and half storey white walled building was the forester’s house built in 1954 and beyond that the Finnish two storey semi detached block built in 1948 for forestry workers. Duncan also noted the smoke in the trees from a forestry hostel build in 1948 and housed up to 20 Displaced Persons (DPs) and European Voluntary Workers (EVW) who worked in the forest. The hostel was sectional huts consisting of two dormitories at right angles to the kitchen, dining room, drying room and shower block.
This building as dismantled in the 1960s
Duncan recalls ‘When I started work in July 1948, I spent 4 weeks weeding seedbeds -1 bed with spruce seedlings about 20-25 mm high and another bed with seedlings 100-150 mm high. The preparation and sowing was done by a squad from Duror Forest.
I don't know when the nursery started but it was going from about 1940. They used to borrow a 2 wheeled tractor ( Trusty) from a neighbour until they got one of their own about 1946-47 As other forests gave up their nurseries, Inverinan got a petrol Ferguson (probably from Minard) then after that a Diesel 20.
The tractor in the photo I do not recognise as it has road lighting which ours didn't and also they are using a Ferguson plough . We had a Begg plough but that Ferguson plough with a second Begg plough arrived in the nursery afterwards.
I think that is the Eredine squad in Inverinan nursery as they filled in at times because their nursery closed before ours’.
The nursery field is situated between the houses and Loch Awe and is still an open field. It was planted in the late eighties with Christmas trees but with limited success and is currently grazed by cattle belonging to Duncan’s son.
Can anyone confirm the names or name the people?
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Groups: Forest Nurseries, Forestry Areas, Groups of people