Rory MacGregor at Inchnacardoch Forest

Date Added: 05 July 2017 Contributor: Norman Davidson Year of Photo: 1958 Picture No: 3711

The photographs are courtesy of Mayanne Macgregor and her father Rory Macgregor who worked at the forest for two years around 1958.

Rory was born in Skye and went to work at Auchterawe, in Inchnacardoch Forest, with the aim of completing two years practical forestry work to enable him to apply to go to Forester Training School. He knew Iain MacDonald from Lewis who was already working at the forest. Rory lived in one of the two bothies and shared it with Willie Stewart, Jimmy Mackenzie the horseman, Harry Coe, Iain Macdonald and Allan MacDougal who was a forestry tractor ploughman. At this time the Dempster family lived in a house beside the bothy huts and the two assistant foresters were Hugh Thom and Ted Saunders. According to old records the Head Forester was a Mr D MacDonald who Rory remembers as working mainly from his office.

Much of the outside work at that time was on Cullachy Hill which runs alongside and above the A82 at the section known as ‘the straight mile’ between Fort Augustus and the Bridge of Oich. Rory worked with the chain saw clearing the birch trees but also planted conifers, worked in the forest nursery and occasionally drove the Fergie tractor.

Before he had completed his two years of practical forestry he was called up to do national service and was heading there when he received word that his father had died. With the help of his MP he was eventually able to get dispensation from national service to assist his mother run their large boarding house back on Skye. Thereafter on Skye he built up and ran the Atholl filling station for 25 years.

Groups: Forestry Areas, Fort Augustus

Group: Women's Timber Corps - Timber Jills - 56 pictures

Pic No: 3465
Mary Thomson, Alves — Timber Corps Pic No: 4121
Women’s Forestry Service appointment 1943

2 Comments

I remember the bothy characters well. Big Bill Mitchell was the cook and his assitant was Walter aka Wattie but can't remembr his second name. There was a Caithness man Johnny Dunnet. Another larger than life character that lived by the bothy was Jock Macpherson former keeper on Glen Loyne Estate who worked with the road squad.I remember he had an extensive taxidermy collection including an alligator on top of a a baby grand piano.

My late father John Chree was transferred from Eileanreach/Moyle in 1961 replacing Ted Saunders. At the time the old office was in use. Jack Frater was Head Foresterwhen we arrived.I think he went on to Newton Nurseries and Hugh Morris came in from Onich around 1965? Comment left on 22 October 2017 at 00:37 by Willie Chree

I guess it would be too much of a coincidence that 'Wattie' the infamous cook in John Keenleyside's Dublin Bothy stories is the same 'Wattie' as here.

Remember a John Dunnet living in the bothy at Polloch (former School)during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He looked after the bothy when road squad were there and also did handy man jobs in the forest tool store. He was quite a small man. Comment left on 23 October 2017 at 08:13 by Norman Davidson

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