Oykel Forest — Langwell Wood
Maps courtesy of North Highland Forest District, Golspie and photographed by Norman Davidson.
The cover of the map shows that there was indecision as to its home forest unit. The block was on the wrong side of the River Oykel for easy access for the Oykel forest squad but there was a footbridge and a ford (in good water conditions). The Balblair squad were much further away and the public road on the south side of the river stopped some quite some distance from Langwell.
The compartment numbering (49-57 P60-P61) however does fall in line with that of the Carbisdale set and fits in neatly between Carbisdale and Viewfield woods with planting in 1960 and 1962/3 respectively. In spite of the greater distance of travel it must have been decided that this Langwell should initially have been managed from the Balblair Forest unit and being on the Ross-shire side of the river this does make some sense.
The wood was planted with quite a high proportion of Scots pine and also Scots pine and Lodgepole pine mixture but some European larch also makes an appearance in mixture with the Scots pine. This wood does contain some very steep sections on the eastern end and was not planted.
Groups: Caithness and Sutherland, Maps of Forest and Woodland Areas