Caterpillar D7 Ploughing Ditch Wood in the Black Isle
The photograph was taken by the late Finlay MacRae who was a District Officer in the Forestry Commission based in Dingwall at the time. The images are courtesy of his daughter Donna.
The Forestry Commission owned D7 has a deep single furrow tine plough attached capable of reaching down to 90cms. The operator is almost certainly Archie Clyne who operated these machines for many years ploughing drier sites on which pine and larch had been felled and preparing the ground for replanting. Often the hope was to ‘improve’ the growing conditions so that a higher yielding species such as Douglas fir could be planted. Getting down to and breaking any iron plan layer in the soil profile was essential.
Can anyone place the location of Ditch wood?
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Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Tractors Ploughs and Drainage Machines