Forestry in the Highland Region by Alan Stevenson and Alan Mackay
The copy printed in ICF Forestry Vol. 64, No 2, 1991 was received from Alan Stevenson along with some of the original images used in the paper.
Alan Mackay was assistant conservator head of the harvesting operations in as then North Scotland Conservancy based in Inverness and Alan Stevenson had a similar designation at this time but in charge of new planting, restocking and other forest management duties.
This paper gives historians a useful insight into forestry practice and policy up until 1990 and updates the 1959 article by J Dickson and R Innes ‘Forestry in North Scotland’. It touches on the ‘Flow Country’ episode, forest landscape and management plans, points to the future emphasis on native pine wood conservation, community woodlands and the potential to create more ecologically diverse forestry.
Below is a transcript from the first page:
SUMMARY
The Highland Region is the largest and probably most variable Region in Scotland in terms of geology, landform, climate and soils. This together with its general remoteness has had a considerable effect on the history and development of land use, particularly the extent and variability of forestry. Many silvicultural and management techniques have been pioneered in the past 70 years as part of the large afforestation programmes undertaken in various phases by government and private interests. Initially the impetus was to reinstate Highland woodlands devastated in the two world wars; thereafter much expansion took place lo fulfil national policy objectives and eventually to provide a significant wood supply for the development of timber industries. These industries have waxed and waned in accord with national as well as local economic trends. Since 1980 however new investment and rationalization has secured local processing and sawmilling capacity which is more or less in balance with timber supplies. Many of the Region's forests provide wide environmental and sociological benefits which managers are actively seeking to conserve, enhance and interpret. As the relatively young forests mature and develop these opportunities will undoubtedly become more evident alongside an expanding valuable timber resource.
INTRODUCTION
When the Society of Foresters of Great Britain and Northern Ireland visited the Highlands and (he Moray coast in 1959, J. A. Dickson and R. A. Innes then Conservator and Assistant Conservator respectively prepared a paper 'Forestry in North Scotland" (Forestry 32 (1)) which outlined the historical, physical and sociological developments of forestry and land use. Silviculture and forest management were described for groups of forests with similar characteristics. Much has changed in the intervening 30 years and this paper attempts to outline the more important changes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA
The area to be considered. Highland Region, comprises a land surface of 2, 539,122 ha which represents approximately a third of the land surface area of Scotland.
The complete paper is in the PDF link below.
Note that the photographs used in the paper have not reproduced well in the PDF and some of the original prints can be found in the following Picture Numbers on Forestry Memories 5721-5729.