Culbin Forest-loading sand dune thatching material
Photograph courtesy of Moray and Aberdeenshire Forest District with particular help from Lesley Hutcheson who collected a series of general photographs found in the Newton Office and filed them.
An official Forestry Commission photograph by Tony Anderson taken in 1951 and as such Copyright: © Crown Copyright.
Iconic image of activity surrounding the gathering of Corsican pine brushwood material from plantations and transporting it to thatch the mobile sand dunes. The horse man and horse have just dropped off a load of pine tops and other branches at the trailer loading point. The chain he has used to wrap around as many treetops and branches as he can gather easily has being unhitched from the swingletree and pulled free of the load by one of the loading team. This is very light work for the horse and perhaps just as well as it appears to have a large wound or abrasion on the outside of its rear right leg. Note the trace chain has been wrapped in sacking to try and protect the wound from any further damage.
It is difficult to see the style of the four wheel wagon and confirm if it is of a pole design as claimed in the heading information. A pole wagon could easily be converted to carry the material by fixing some long boards as the base between the sets of bolsters. Note the use of pitch forks to lift the tops and branch wood up to the man on top of the loaded wagon.
Some of the men are wearing ex army type battle dress jacket but also some type of over garments to protect themselves and clothing from the wet and resinous material.
Can any of the men be named? Any information on the clothing and on the thatching operation would be very welcome.
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Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Groups of people, Horses at work in Forests