RSFS visit - Ari sawmill and Glenbranter
The document is courtesy of Glenbranter Forest office staff with particular thanks to Ian Adams who has stored these old files for many years.
This is a record of a one day visitation to Ari Sawmill at Strachur and then to Glenbranter Forest to observe demonstrations of thinning, extraction and loading of timber followed by a walk through some compartments containing Sitka spruce, Japanese and Hybrid larch planted in 1928.
The history of the mill location, purpose and organisation is briefly covered with mentions of the roles of Adam Wilson and Sons plus the Forestry Commission. At that time they employed 21 people but were having great difficulty in recruiting enough mill workers due to the shortage of local accommodation. Argyll County Council had however commenced building houses in Strachur.
Glenbranter Forest is quoted as having planted a total of 3443 acres and had a compliment of three foresters, three assistant foresters and over one hundred forest workers including contractors. Extraction was mainly by horse with eight being used in the forest – right owned by FC and the rest by contractors. Some winching is required for uphill pulling but no mention of type of machine.
There are details of annual harvesting programmes and timber sales and then detail of the standing and thinned volumes in the compartments visited.
Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry Records, Booklets and Reports