Dornoch Forest District Stock Map No 1 – Stroubster (Caithness)
The map was recovered from shed at Newton Nursery which acted as a storage area for Forest Research who used the maps to locate forest and tree experiments in the field.
In the area of former Rumster Forest this forest map was surveyed in 1997 and revised as at Feb 1998. Much of this forest was planted in 1990 and 1991 on deep peat with an intimate mixture of Alaskan Lodgepole pine and Sitka spruce - most likely in 3 x 3 in line formation along the row. There are some areas of pure Sitka spruce possibly in areas originally worked as part of Stroubster croft. The Forestry Commission area is next to some private company forest planting named as Tothel Gill Forest.
It is surmised that this was some of the last deep peat land acquired and planted by the Forestry Commission in Caithness following reviews of the effects of forestry planting on peatland breeding birds (Flow Country) and potential damage to mire and bog pool habitats. At yet a later date following on from the view that there would be a loss of onsite carbon storage capacity if trees continued growing on these very deep peat sites early tree felling and clearing commenced. This was usually followed by the blocking of drainage systems and the ‘smoothing over’ of the ploughed peat in a process to revert the land back to its former wet peat forming stage.
It should be noted that in this area all the trees have been removed as at 2024 and the plough furrows appear to have been all filled in. On site now are several wind turbines.
Please see the large image for details on the map. Any comments on the forest area and its formation are very welcome.
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Groups: Caithness and Sutherland, Maps of Forest and Woodland Areas