District and Forest Office at Torlundy – Leanachan Forest
The photograph courtesy of Stephen Newsom, Aberdour, was taken by his father Geoff Newsom while looking into a move to Leanachan Forest as Head Forester in summer 1966. The landscaping and garden fencing is in process of being completed. The view is towards the south west and overlooks the forestry office that housed District, Forest and Engineering staff. The Bedford Utilabrake was the Newsom family transport.
Staff based in the Office at this time will have included:
Sandy Morrison – District Officer
Norman Mackenzie – Area Civil Engineer
Bert Stewart – Superintendent of Engineering Works
Donald MacIntosh – Engineering Assistant – Surveyor
George Robertson - Engineering Assistant – Surveyor
Alex MacLeman - Chief Forester – Leanachan Forest
Len Macrae – Forester - Leanachan Forest
Marjory MacDougall – Telephonist Typist
Marion or Morag Bruce – Forest Clerk
Anna Gardiner – Forest Clerk
Over the end slope of the Office roof the tower of the Pulp Mill is visible with its distinctive plume of smoke and gasses. The two wood chip piles look very sizable in spite of the mill only being operational for about a year. In the middle of the photograph is the line of new houses built in the village of Caol to cater for the influx of mill workers. Some of these may have also have been Dorran houses but two floors high terrace style buildings centred on Gorse Place. These buildings were later knocked down and replaced with traditional built buildings.
Forest Radio communication was in its infancy and limited to parts of the Great Glen and high parts of Glen Nevis and Glen Loy. Note the radio mast pole next to the office. On the left past the corner of the Foresters House can be seen the roofs of the forest tool store, fire store and deer larder. Torlundy vehicle and machine work shop was a sheet iron clad building on the left hidden behind the house. Tommy Cameron was mechanic in charge.
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Groups: Buildings in Forests, Forestry Areas