Remains of Fire tower hut on former Alltcailleach Forest
The images are courtesy of Alistair Cassie whose father, George, and grandfather, Adam, worked in the Forestry Commission for most of their working lives. The estate land was leased to the Forestry Commission after the war - circa 1948 and the new plantings named Alltcaillaeach Forest. Much later the leased land was returned to Birkhall Estate.
Alistair recalls:
“The fire hut was virtually straight up the first hill from that boundary stone and was on the nearest hill on the lower Coyles (Strone Hill or An t-Stron). There were three or four telephone poles to it from the road. I remember being inside and seeing the Log book and telephone. You could see the Mither Tap on a clear day. You climbed up the ladder through the trap door. I think there was a padlock but I might be wrong. Near the site a road was felled because the Queen Mother liked the view when she was at Birkhall . The Tower had matured tree trunks cemented in to blasted rocks There is a story that one of the towers blew down but I am not sure if that was correct.”
The PDF below has other views of the fire hut remains.
Groups: Buildings in Forests, Forestry Areas, Northeast Scotland