Rannoch Forest — Comp 8 - Logging Canals
Photograph is courtesy and copyright of Forestry Commission, Forest Research, Roslin, and provided with help from Glen Brearley. FR Photo number No B4956 taken by I A Anderson.
The text reads as follow:
‘The uppermost collecting basin and the remains of the haulage canals (circa 1800) built by a Workshire (sic) firm of Timber Contractors who undertook some felling and extraction. It is believed that the logs were drawn along the canals by horse rather than floated. Elevation 1200ft Sitka spruce P49 on ploughed ground in deep heather on right.’
Can anyone fill in any detail of timber felling operation mentioned? It is difficult to visualise the actual size of the ‘canals’ but the cross section looks more like a deep ditch. If it was that narrow it must have been difficult to keep the edges from being damaged in the process of being hauled by horse. Any thoughts welcome.
Charlie Taylor has mentioned the Yorkshire Water Company as the likely candidate. Wikipedia on the Company writes ‘The estates purchased were estates, mainly in Scotland, forfeited after the Jacobite rebellion of 1715, when the rebels were stripped of their lands......... The company undertook various ventures to exploit its estates, including mining copper and lead ores in the Panmure estates in Forfarshire, starting an ironworks at Abernethy and shipping timber from there. However these works were not profitable.’
Any more details would be very welcome.
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Groups: Forest Research, Forestry Areas, Horses at work in Forests