National Parks Committee May 1935
Early photograph taken in 1935 from a forestry album of 117 photographs compiled by an unknown Forestry Commission officer. No other information provided other than the names.
This is the second of two photographs headed National Park Committee and here features four people who are from the left:
Mr F Scott (back), Mr H L French, Dr Addison, Dr Gibbon, Sir John Stirling Maxwell.
Mr F Scott had moved from being Divisional Officer in North Scotland to that of Division 3 based in Bristol.
Sir John Stirling Maxwell owner of Corrour and Pollock Estates in Scotland was at this period Chairman of the Forestry Commission.
Quote from 1935 Forestry Commission Annual Report:
‘Reference was made in the Commissioners’ last Annual Report to the possibilities of providing recreational facilities on the Commission’s unplantable land and to- the formation of a Committee, under the Chairmanship of Sir John Stirling-Maxwell, to consider a specific example. The Committee were appointed in March, 1935, "to advise how the surplus and unplantable land in the Forests of Ardgartan, Glenfinart, Benmore and Glenbranter in the County of Argyll may be put to a use of a public character."
In their Report the Committee stated that the whole area under review (including the adjoining Ardgoil Estate, which the Glasgow Corporation was willing to bring into the scheme) extended to nearly 100 square miles and was particularly suitable for hiking and rambling. They recommended accordingly the encouragement of the use of the area by responsible organisations and especially by those connected with the Youth movement. This would be facilitated by the acquisition of Ardgartan House and policies, and by the provision of youth hostels, alpine huts and camping grounds. The Committee recommended also that Government be asked to provide £5,000 for the Commission’s use in developing the proposals put forward, the money to be expended mainly on the lay-out and equipment of camp sites. The acquisition of Ardgartan House and policies should be met from sources outside the Commission.
Considerable progress has been made in giving effect to the Committee’s advice. Sanction has been secured for the Commissioners to incur expenditure on camping sites and similar projects, the Jubilee Trust has purchased Ardgartan House, the Carnegie Trust is taking an interest in other parts of the scheme, and a representative Advisory Committee and a small Management Committee have been set up. It is expected, therefore, that the first National Forest Park will begin to function in a small way during the summer of 1936.’
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Groups: Groups of people