Resurveyed Map of Glenrigh Forest
Maps are courtesy of Lochaber Forest District, Torlundy with particular thanks to Ben Lennon.
This map covers three individual forest areas within the area known as Glenrigh Forest. Two of the areas are part of a single large area of land centred on the water course Amhainn Righ and the third is a separate area above the northern shores of Loch Leven close to the village of Onich. It has a survey or map preparation date given as 1961 and also the signature of the draughtsperson which could be D B Armstrong.
The first area of new planting appears to have been the section nearest to Corran Ferry and above the A82 which has a mix of Planting Years with the earliest being 1922. No doubt present forestry management teams would have preferred if the enthusiastic planters of past days had been kept a little further back off the steep slopes above the main road!
It is interesting to note in this 1961 map that an extensive harvesting road network is already in place and suggests that the mix of tree ages could be partially due to clear felling and replanting. Failure of the original planting and replanting after some ploughing or after fires could all account for the variations. Any history accounts of this area would be very welcome as it must have been one of the very early Forestry Commission forests.
The second area up the sides of the Glenrigh Burn was planted from around 1929 onwards with later plantings up the hill into the 1970s. Again the harvesting roads outlined in red have been placed in the oldest part and indicate a thinning programme at least.
The last area beyond Onich and above the road to Kinlochleven has a very interesting compartment structure in the eastern end. This style is indicative of 1920s area organisation on steep slopes but the planting years are annotated as 1947 and 1948. Can someone tell us a little about the forestry history of this area?