Lochaber Forests – Forestry Commission Forest Name Signs
Images are courtesy of Malcolm Wield, Glenurquhart and Gordon Donaldson who contacted holders and collected Forest Name images and actual forest signs from several locations. The metal signs were manufactured by The Royal Label Factory (RLF) that has a history going back over 100 years of producing aluminium and none corroding metal signs.
The forest signs featured here show a little of the evolving nature of their design. Very early signs of this type appear to have had the words State Forest in the design. The signs following this simply had the forest management unit name and Forestry Commission highlighted in a yellow colour. Scotland located forests had the rampant lion at the bottom with the usual crown at the top. It is not certain if these were originally pointed yellow or red, the latter colour certainly used on the ridged edge lines. The word ‘Forest’ after the unit name appears to have evolved possibly about the late 1950s or early 1960s. The ladder style wooden signs were introduced around about 1973 and replaced the old metal signs in most areas except for some isolated forests.
Leanachan Forest – Appears to have initiated about 1945 and may have acquired some land from the British Aluminium Company – requires checking. By 1966 the land holding totalled over 27,000 acres but only 6700 acres planted (large area near Roybridge was croft grazing) and after this Nevis Forest was amalgamated into the unit in 1967.
Clunes Forest – Initiated in 1928 and by 1969 the land holding totalled over 10,000 acres and 2,900 under plantations with a plantable reserve of 2,600 acres. Appears to have amalgamated with Glen Loy Forest in 1970 and then into Leanachan Forest circa 1971/72
Glen Loy Forest – Another quite early acquisition in 1930 which continued as a forest unit until 1970 when it was assimilated into Clunes Forest. The land holding at that time was about 2600 acres with over 2000 acres as forest.
Sunart Forest, Ardnamurchan – First planting appears to have been in 1952 and thereafter continued as a forest unit until 1970 by which time the land total was over 11,000 acres with over 4000 acres planted. This included the separate area Glencripesdale Forest (across loch Sunart) which was managed from the Sunart office. After 1970 Glenhurich Forest was linked into Sunart Forest followed by Fiunary Forest in 1972 the whole area retaining the Sunart name until the 1983 reorganisation.
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Groups: Forest Signs, Forestry Areas