Creagnaneun and Portclair Forest Working Plan
The 1964 document is courtesy of Inverness, Ross and Skye Forest District and staff at their Fort Augustus office.
The plan, covering the two forests, written largely by District Officer A Ray is divided into 26 chapters many with a descriptive text and some with comprehensive quantitative data in completed forms. The first 20 paragraphs are headed as follows:
1. Introduction
2. Site description
3. History
4. Estate Management
5. Amenity
6. Growing Stock
7. Organisation
8. Planting Rate and Resumption of Land
9. Silviculture
10. Crop Establishment
11. Crop Maintenance
12. Enrichment
13. Regulation of Yield
14. Forest Roads and Access
15. Powered Vehicles and Machines
16. Marketing and Exploitation
17. Risks
18. Nurseries
19. Staff and Labour
20. Houses and Holdings, Other Buildings and Special Installations
Other chapters include Research and Experiments, Other Factors, Objects of Management etc however many people will home in on Chapter 19 which lists all the District Officers, Conservators, Directors and Foresters names since the inception of the Portclair (Port Clair) forest in 1919 (33 acres planted 1920) and Creagnaneun in 1924.
In common with other working plans there is a comprehensive description of geology and soils followed by history of acquisitions and disposals of land. The history of the forest and its local area is always of interest and some writers describe historical events far back into recorded history and on into the Jacobite times. This plan refers to some interesting detail of the forests in the area their spread and the produce sold in the 18th century. This forest was also one of the first areas purchased by the Forest Commission after its formation in 1919.
District officers, Divisional Officers and Conservator names listed for the two forests include:
G Home, J W Mackay, H C Beresford-Peirce, W N Gibson, D S Spraggan, R O Drummond, R A Innes, G F D Savage, J A Drummond, A Ray, F Scott, J Fraser, A Watt, J T Fitzherbert, J A Dixon, J Chrystall, H A Maxwell.
Foresters listed for Portclair Forest include: J Cameron, J MacEwan, H Pennet, J MacEwan, H Lambie, A W Officer, J MacKay and D MacIntosh.
Foresters listed for Creagnaneun include: W MacIntosh, W MacClymont, C MacDonald, R Campbell, G Munro, J MacEwan, J B Fell, D Watt, and T Fraser.
Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry Records, Booklets and Reports