Forest Record of Blackhall Forest, Banchory
Record Book courtesy of Forestry Commission Moray and Aberdeenshire Forest District, Huntly.
This is one of a few Forest Record Books that have survived since this system of recording details of forest work in each new forest was changed after the early 1950s. Two copies of the book were maintained one at the forest and the other by the District Officer but in reality both were maintained by the District Office as it was only they who had a typist. It is likely the forester had to provide a written summary for the DO to work off.
The hard back cover had a sophisticated and durable locking system to retain the loose leaf pages as they were added when each year’s work was completed. The pages came in several categories R3 - Staff Record; R4 - Annual summary of Operations; R6 - Silvicultural Notes by Year; R7 - Plantation History. No doubt these forms were themselves summarised by Division, Country and Nationally. The form R1 still survives today as the annual planting record and always had its own folder.
Blackhall Forest staff records show that the District Officers covering this forest were D H Bird from 1941-43 and Tom H Woolridge 1944-46. The forester was W G Milne 1941- 1946 but records of staff do not continue in this case after 1946. Willie Milne also served at the Bin Forest circa 1932-38
The planting and silvicultural records which begin in 1941, the start of the forest, give some idea of the scale of the work and type of hand jobs done throughout the year. Planting seldom exceeded 40 acres per year early on but rose to over 400 acres by 1948. Note the large amount of new drains cut by hand for the planting that year – 15 miles!! The records stop being maintained in 1951 in this case.
Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry Records, Booklets and Reports, Northeast Scotland