Forest Record of Countesswells Forest, Aberdeen
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 the details of the 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.
As Countesswells only started as a FC forest in 1947 it does not have a full set of records and the few R6 and R7 sheets are held within the Kirkhill Forest record. It is notable that a double furrow Cuthbertson plough was used in 1949 to plough 56 acres.
Of interest also is the record of acquired plantations with planting dates going back to 1840 and 1860 although the former were described as beech some of which had to be felled for the new houses in 1948? Messers Fiddes and Son are named as felling contractors in Compartment 25.
Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry Records, Booklets and Reports, Northeast Scotland