Forest Research Office at Fort Augustus
Photograph taken around 1986/87 is courtesy of John Ireland, who is currently based at Lochaber Forest District.
This is a view of the old Research Office which would have been about to close or had closed at this time. The Forest Research section had an office and nursery here for quite some time and also accommodated forest Site Survey teams from time to time.
It would be good to know the history of this building and if it was used as a former District or Forest office before the new brick/block and slate roof building was erected.
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Groups: Forestry Areas
Year 19353 - 1 pictures
6 Comments
Yes Frank Thom is right the Research office is a hundred yards further up the road and had been one of the oldest forest research out stations under Silv.(N), it was closed in the mid eighties and the staff made redundant, it was my saddest day in 40 years in the F.C. when I had to turn the key for the last time. No higher official appeared to thank the four staff for their many years of service, so I locked the door took them to a local hotel and gave them a meal paid for out of my own pocket.
John Keenleyside Chief Forester Research 1979-1986. Comment left on 11 November 2016 at 20:09 by John Keenleyside
John Keenleyside Chief Forester Research 1979-1986. Comment left on 11 November 2016 at 20:09 by John Keenleyside
My father John Chree said that it was demolished as it was full of asbestos.
Comment left on 12 November 2016 at 02:07 by Willie Chree
Comment left on 12 November 2016 at 02:07 by Willie Chree
The new office had an extension which housed the seed kiln for extracting seed of Research Branch collection and especially those from Genetic Branch breeding programmes. This was under the supervision of Davie Coutts (senior). The seed kiln and other cleaning equipment was transferred to Northern Research Station in the mid 70's,
Comment left on 30 December 2016 at 19:53 by Alan Fletcher
Davie Coutts senior was a product of the Beauly Forestry school in the 1920, s and spent his entire career at Fort Augustus. Davie Coutts Jun also trained as a forester and was at Grizedale on Genetics but came to Fort Augustus
in the early seventies to do the seed work that his father had done before him. He developed a heart condition whilst working under HF Dave Tracy and retired early in the mid eighties before the outstation closed. He passed away in the early part of 2016 and was survived by his wife and two sons who did not follow a forestry career. Comment left on 15 January 2017 at 20:37 by John Keenleyside Research CF Newton 79-86
in the early seventies to do the seed work that his father had done before him. He developed a heart condition whilst working under HF Dave Tracy and retired early in the mid eighties before the outstation closed. He passed away in the early part of 2016 and was survived by his wife and two sons who did not follow a forestry career. Comment left on 15 January 2017 at 20:37 by John Keenleyside Research CF Newton 79-86
The attached PDF photo taken bt Allan Green (jnr) shows the former Forest Research Office as it was in 2015.
Comment left on 19 January 2017 at 19:43 by Norman Davidson
Form Goes Here
The building in the trees to the left was also of corrugated iron and was the home of Willie Jack who was for many years the forest clerk.
The office of Research Branch was about 100 yards further up the road and is, I think, now used by staff of the Great Glen Way Comment left on 11 November 2016 at 15:43 by Frank Thom