Glen Righ and Battan Forest 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.
Glen Righ Forest was one of the very early Forestry Commission acquisitions with approximately 5000 acres of land purchased in 1921 from Cameron of Locheil’s Estate with the first planting taking place in 1923. The location was on the east side of Loch Linnhe on the hills above the Corran Ferry terminal with further areas above Loch Leven. By 1979 the total land area was just over 5820 acres with over 3400 acres planted. Timber production at this time was 10,000 cu m annually. In 1980 the Forest Unit was amalgamated with Leanachan Forest and managed under the latter’s name.
Battan Forest was first formed in 1948 after a small acquisition west of Loch Ness close to the Coulnakirk road south of The Aird. The land acquisitions totalled 2167 acres by 1960 with 1524 acres under plantations. In 1961 this forest was amalgamated into nearby Boblainy Forest and all managed under the Boblainy name.
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Groups: Forest Signs, Forestry Areas