Forestry Memories

Lining out Sitka spruce with boards and Ledmore plough – image 3

Lining out Sitka spruce with boards and Ledmore plough – image 3

Date Added: 04 March 2021 Contributor: Norman Davidson Year of Photo: 1965 Picture No: 5072

The image is from a collection of slides and photographs ‘rescued from the skip’ and handed to Forestry Memories. Generally very little information with or about them and for details we will have to rely on readers’ memories or geographical knowledge.

A great view of lining out progress in the forest nursery as and lining out boards from the last run at the bottom of the row have still to be unhinged and taken for filling at the trestle shelters. The workers are tiding up the edges and ensuring all the trees are firmly bedded and erect while some ladies can just be seen over the slope waiting for the boards to be taken to the filling stations.

Next to the camera a nursery worker is setting up the new line of filled boards. He is fitting them end to end on the edge of the soil bench so that the tree roots are hanging down against the vertical edge ready to be back filled by the next run of the plough.

Does anyone recognise the location? The red soil is very distinctive and has similarities to the Angus Mearns. Any suggestions? See previous two images and large versions of the images.

June 2022 - Mike Lawrence has confirmed the location as Ledmore Nursery near Bankfoot.

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Groups: Forest Nurseries, Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Groups of people, Mystery and unknown, Other Vehicles and Machines

4 Comments

Looks like the Obney Hills on the highland boundary fault to the west of Dunkeld in the background, which would make this in the area of the Strathord Seed Orchard on the north side of lower Strathearn.
I'd expect Bill Raynor to confirm (or otherwise!). Comment left on 04 March 2021 at 15:57 by John Burrow
My thoughts exactly John. The seed orchards are still there, but with the dismantling of the FC and FR I am not sure of their current status or future and little appears to have been done there since before my retiral in 2016.
Good health, Bill Comment left on 06 March 2021 at 10:44 by Bill Rayner
My apologies for mis-spelling your name Bill. No excuse other than idleness in not checking and guessing on 50:50 rather than phoning a friend or asking the audience.
The nursery was I think probably gone when I was at FC Dunkeld in 1979-80 although the seed orchard was still there. I have, probably false, fond memories of cone collecting at Strathord on warm summer's days. Rose tinted nostalgia probably. Comment left on 06 March 2021 at 13:33 by John Burrow
That picture without any fear of contradiction, was taken at the Ledmore nursery, on the outskirts of Bankfoot ! I planted many a board in that field back in the late 1960 ! Comment left on 05 May 2024 at 10:49 by Mike
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