View of Drumtochy Castle and Woods – Details of Gammell Sitka spruce
The image is from a photograph collection that was originally stored at Kincardine Forest District (see Large Image).
High quality series of images by I A (Tony) Anderson, the Forestry Commission photographer based in Alice Holt assigned Numbers B7208 -7211.
From this high level view point, south of Drumtochty Glen, Tony Anderson took a series of images in a landscape compilation and here they have been seamlessly merged via a programme. The castle, part of the stables and out buildings and the forest running up towards the main body of Fetteresso are all in view.
Out of view probably and down on the right may have been or be the location of the famous Gammell Spruce. This was mentioned in a tour report in 1967 (Record No 4764) ‘of the large spruce tree at Drumtochty which was measured in 1961 as top height of 134 feet, Breast height quarter girth as 58.25 inches, volume of 892 hoppus feet and approx 100 years old.’
John Keenleyside commented: ‘I was interested to read the report in Volume 69 No2 Autumn/Winter Forestry Journal page 48. Having been resident in the Glen for the 1960’s decade as a Head Forester on Research work for the Forestry Commission and lived in the former Head gardeners house I heard many tales about The Gammell Sitka Spruce.
The article on page 48 confirms two of the tales.
(1) That this tree was from the first packet of Seed introduced by David Douglas in 1832. (2) That the Gammell spruce was planted out as a one year seedling confirms the fact that it must have been grown in a greenhouse. The fact that it survived and others failed or struggled could be due to its proximity to the road side and its ability to root in a Calluna free zone. The ones a little further up the hill may have been in Calluna check for many years as noted elsewhere in Research plots throughout Scotland and N.E. England.
This early experience with Sitka spruce led to the Drumtochty Estate foresters establishing a nursery on the edge of the forest above Drumelzie farm prior to the first World War and unwittingly creating a heathland nursery. This nursery was stocked with seedlings and lined out plants when war broke out. The Drumtochty staff enlisted and the nursery was abandoned.
My limited knowledge of the early days in the glen was due to a visitation in the mid sixties of a Mr Sandy Barclay who had been an apprentice gardener at Drumtochty when World War I broke out. He gave me his version of the early days of Sitka in the Glen which is now confirmed in the current issue of the Journal.
The Forestry Commission was formed in 1919 and took over Drumtochty in the 1920’s and faced a restocking problem as much of the timber had been felled during the conflict. Most of the men that went to war failed to return, the estate was sold on and there was a scarcity of local knowledge but a new generation of foresters emerged - Caird, Corbet, Hendry, Morrison, Officer, Stewart, Taylor, Tracey, Watson, and others. I mention surnames only as several emerged from some of the surnames, even second generation foresters emerged, these went on to be prominent foresters on large estates like Atholl, some joined the Forestry Commission and joined the merry go round of postings within the organisation.
I arrived in the Glen early in 1961 to take over Research work in the counties of Aberdeen, Kincardine and Angus with much Tree breeding work based on the walled gardens of Drumtochty and Glenfarquhar where we had seed orchards of Scots pine, European Larch, Douglas Fir and Sitka Spruce, On one occasion I was phoned up from Northern Research Station and asked to get a supply of pollen from the Gammell Sitka Spruce for pollination work and ‘whilst you are there you might as well measure the tree’.
Two of us climbed to the top which was easy due to presence of lots of strong branches and like going up stairs to bed. At the top there were plenty of male flowers, almost ready to disperse pollen. We collected the male flowers and then we proceeded to measure the tree down in 10 feet sections. On that occasion in the mid sixties we made it 154 ft. tall with a girth of over 20 ft. which is not a realistic measurement as the basal swelling extends beyond the normal breast height measuring point. At this stage it was reckoned to be the third largest in the UK.
We harvested the pollen from the male flowers. Normally a small container would have been adequate to do a considerable number of controlled pollinations. I had to go into my house to find a container large enough to hold all the pollen we had harvested. I found a container which had been a catering size of salad cream and it held 3 pounds of pollen. I received a phone call the following day from N.R.S. ‘Which label had they to believe - the one on the side of the jar which said S.S. Drumtochty Glen Clone 120 or the lid which said Heinz 57 varietes’! Never before had such a large batch of pollen been received.
Our attention then turned to the old nursery site which had been untouched since the men went to war in 1914.This site was an impenetrable Jungle, it was noted that 3 large Sitka spruce were towering above everything else. We fought our way into the jungle and found three very fine Sitka spruce, probably of the same parentage as the Gammel Sitka Spruce. These three trees were selected as plus trees and added to the breeding programme. Clone 121. 122. 123. I do not know if they are still standing or not. At one point they were threatened by a big power line coming up the Glen. At another, realignment of the road to conform to Health and Safety gradients for timber transport. I am attempting to find out if they are still standing to complete this story.’
The following is part of correspondence between John Keenleyside and Martin Rodgers on Glenfarquhar Lodge. Both were Forestry Commisision Foresters and both had periods of service as Research Foresters based at Drumtochty.
"Martin,
Now that you are snowed in could you check my info. on Glenfarquhar and add your valuable contribution gained from living and working there in the 1960s. Things that you mentioned to me which are valuable were:-Ownership of the estate Sir James Caird a shipping magnate from Dundee. Date of Building Late 19th century or early 20th?
Connection with Sir Alexander Fleming Friend Shooting client or what?
The building was the main structure divided into four plus caretakers cottage where Robbie Adam lived. My memory says the vegetable garden part had six plots?
The occupants I remember were Robbie Adam - Forester, Gordon Third Assistant Forester, Allan Will - Forest Clerk and A Morrison from East Lodge Drumtochty and yourself in Forest Research. Can you clarify names and number?
From Martin Rodgers
Glenfarquhar Lodge.
I moved into Glenfarquhar Lodge between Christmas and New year following our marriage on Dec 20th. Our Ford Anglia was loaded up with wedding presents and goods and immediately we were blocked in by heavy snow as tended to happen at 584 feet.
The Lodge had been built as a ‘summer lodge' for Sir James Caird of Dundee, I believe a shipping entrepreneur. It was built with no expense spared - a lot of wood in its construction including a grand staircase. I felt it was quite a fire hazard because the windows were quite small for escape from upstairs. Consequently we chose a ground floor flat.
Flooring was solid oak parquet and skirtings 12 inch boards of high quality pine. There were I think 4 flats - Allan Will Drumtochty Forest Clerk and his wife Flora (they had the staircase!) Neville Bowsfield Drumtochty Forest, Forester, who kept a Goshawk much to the alarm of the ladies hanging out their washing. Geordie Strachan a timber contractor working in the wood with his wife had many children and was in the flat above us! At 5.30 there would be a crash on the floor above us. This was young Geordie setting off for the paper mill in Montrose. There was also a caretaker’s house semi attached to the Lodge where Robbie Adam, Drumtochty Head Forester, lived. He had the only phone.
Needless to say the flat was very cold in winter the bathroom especially! There was a 7 foot cast iron bath which ensured the incoming hot water was cooled immediately. The Flamingo wallpaper put up by the Morrison’s did nothing to improve the situation and you spent as little time as possible in there!
Outside there was a triple garage all lined in pine, and with power points to charge batteries in the ‘old days’ of motoring. The South facing garden had a high 10 feet? Wall around it entered through peaked solid oak doors with brass fittings. Amazing! The blackcurrants on the wall grew as big as small grapes. Each tenant had a piece of the garden which was very productive.
It was quite a steep learning curve living there especially for Maureen from Central Scotland now out in the sticks. Flora was very kind and helped her with new recipes! When I had back trouble Maureen realised she had to learn to drive and passed her test in Stonehaven. We enjoyed living there until the place was run down for sale and flats were not re-occupied. Eventually it was the 2 of us with newly born Kenneth and Shandy the dog in this 24 roomed building. In practice we became the letting agents for the sale of the building!
On sale it went I think to the Rudolph Steiner organization for the mentally handicapped where they developed the garden and kept pigs. Through lack of maintenance it was in very poor condition when I last saw it many years ago. It was for sale sadly at a knock down price some years ago.
Best wishes
Martin"
Any more details and comments welcome. Can anyone say if any of the mentioned clone trees are still standing?
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Groups: Buildings in Forests, Forest Research, Forestry Areas, Northeast Scotland
Comment left on 13 December 2021 at 09:57 by Norman Davidson (Website Curator)