Forest Record of Kemnay Forest, Aberdeenshire
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. Looking over the forms and also the print run details on their bottom edge this system of recording work was only initiated in 1935 and ended circa 1953. 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.
The Divisional Officers covering this part of the Conservancy are named in the Record as J F Annand 1926, R G Forbes 1933,
H M Steven 1934, F Scott 1938 and Acting Div Officer L A Newton 1939 after which the record ends.
The District Officers named are J K Leven 1926, R C Smith 1928, D V Murray 1932, A Watt 1935, T H Woolridge 1938, I Stewart 1939, I Gillespie 1939 -1946 when the record ends.
The Forester is shown as J Allan from 1926 through to 1946 when the record ends. Over the 20 years he progressed from Foreman to Grade II Forester and onto Acting Grade I Forester.
The forest never had a large planting programme but had a diverse set of planting sites in a variety of separate woods some with areas of existing forests and others with mix of broadleaves and other species. Some areas were old grazing lands and fields which were ploughed by horse prior to planting and other site were wet and boggy requiring must hand work in draining and mounding.
Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry Records, Booklets and Reports, Northeast Scotland