South Balblair Forest Planting Map
The maps are courtesy of North Highland Forest District, Golspie which were photographed by Norman Davidson.
This composite map of the southern section of Balblair Forest shows the Carbisdale Wood but this time with the outline of a large surrounding acquisition edged in yellow. Further planting has been added to the south of Carbisdale and also on the west side of the acquisition at Rhelonie Wood. Much of the land in the acquisition was subsequently planted up and known as Loch a’Choire. Strangely the Viewfield House planting is not shown in this version but a small acquisition is shown at Invercharron Hill, right next to what was part of Craigs Forest.
The individual woods are shown in the attached PDF the first of which is Rhelonie Wood which carries on the Compartment numbering (27-36) from Carbisdale and planted in years 1956-58. Not certain why the middle portion was not planted at the same time but certainly done later. A large part of the acquisition area may have been part of crofting outrun and not released immediately for planting. Still a high proportion of Scots pine reflecting drier soil conditions but some Lodgepole pine larch and Sitka spruce also in the species choice.
The next image shows Carbisdale Wood which is the same as in previous maps but planting is extending southwards into the large acquisition of the Loch Choire area. The compartments numbered 37 – 46 and planted in years 1958- 61 match in now with the two compartments 47 and 48 on the northeast corner of Carbisdale planted 1960. In the Loch a’Choire are the species choice reflect the move into wetter sites with peat as the Scots pine is mixed intimately with Lodgepole pine in various mixtures of 1:1 up to 1:4 as shown on the map.
The third area of Invercharron Hill shows three compartments 64 -66 of which 64 was planted in 1958. It is a bit out of sequence with the rest of Balblair Forest and also the adjacent Craigs Forest.
Note also that Langwell Wood in Oykel Forest has Compartment numbers 49-57 planted in 1960/61. This would follow on from Compartment 48 above.
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Groups: Caithness and Sutherland, Maps of Forest and Woodland Areas