Tine ploughing at Corrour Forest
The photographs courtesy of Stephen Newsom, Aberdour, were taken by his father Geoff Newsom while Head Forester at Corrour Forest. Geoff was transferred from Gisburn Forest NW (E) to Leanachan Forest, Fort William, in August 1966 and was responsible for the new planting operations then taking place largely around Loch Eilt and Callop next to Loch Shiel. Following the purchase of Corrour Estate by the Forestry Commission, Geoff took charge from January 1968 until December 1971, while still based at Torlundy, primarily organising and managing all the new planting operations as well those staff who had transferred from the Estate. In March 1972 Corrour was amalgamated with Strathmashie Forest. Geoff was then relocated to Wark Forest, and again to Jervaulx Forest (both NE England), and ended his forestry career in November 1983.
The exact location has not been identified but certainly the trees around Langgan dam are visible as possibly is the vague outline of the A86 Spean Bridge Road on the green slope on the right. There are two slow running burns that form oxbows before they enter Laggan Dam waters and could be one of these.
There were a number of ploughing outfits working over the spring and summer months when the weather was more reasonable. Geoff’s diary records the following names of ploughing tractor operators:
Jimmy Henderson
Donald Junor
Bert or Bob MacBeath
Len Newman
Norman Shearer.
There were a mix of trailed and mounted ploughs scratching in among the glacial over burden with its lumps of rocks, and shallow peaty gleys. Tractors and ploughs were much lighter in those days (such as Fiat 70s) and the going was quite hard and resulted in very shallow single furrow ploughing as can be seen.
Planting on the ploughing was a real problem with no available planters nearby other that the two local employee workers Tom Pigg and John Carrol to work on a programme of around 400 acres. The situation was partially solved by daily transporting in men from Strathmashie Forest when the Head Forester there (Jim Ogilvie) was able to supply them. A far from ideal solution as the Corrour work was secondary to the home forest programme.
Any comments very welcome.
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