Forest Record of Lossie Forest, Morayshire
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 H M Steven 1937, F Scott 1938 and Acting Div Officer and L A Newton 1939. The record extends a little to show Conservator in 1947 as F W Oliver.
The District Officers named are A Warren 1937, I Stewart 1938 -46 when the record ends. However another page shows District Officer R J Waterman in 1947 and J A M Kennedy in 1947 also which is the end of that record.
The Foresters/Foremen are named as J B Fell from 1937- 45 and C Scaife thereafter.
The forest operations record and history describes an immediate programme of planting in the sandy dunes and nearby heather and gorse covered land. The techniques of sand planting appear to have been well known or passed on from Culbin. They used Scots pine inland but on the sand Corsican pine was the favoured species planted using Schlich spades. Ploughing with tractor was used intermittently on the inland areas but on the bare sand areas Marram grass planting and ‘barn sweepings’ were used to help stabilise some areas. Thatching with gorse and broom cleared from the inland planting sites was practiced a little but as time went on, cleared birch and tops from thinnings were increasingly used.
In the war time this forest was obviously used for munitions practice as there is mention of an area suffering from rabbits because the staff could not access it due to dangers following military exercises! The records of silviculture operations and activities stop in 1950.
Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry Records, Booklets and Reports, Northeast Scotland