Willie Beattie at Strathconon Forester�s House

Date Added: 30 August 2024 Contributor: Norman Davidson Year of Photo: 1984 Picture No: 5922

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.

Said to be Willie Beattie (senior) when based at Strathconon Forest. Can anyone place the location of the forester’s house?

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Groups: Buildings in Forests

1 Comment

The place where this photograph was taken is Milton Cottage, Milton, Strathconon, where Willie Beattie and his wife Cathie retired to and I believe rented the cottage from Mr MacDonald-Buchanan, of the Black & White whisky family, before the Strathconon Estate, of which Milton Cottage was a part, was sold because of the breakdown of Mr MacDonald-Buchanan's marriage in the mid 1980's. Willie was a very keen and able gardener, the fertility of the garden up at Achlorachan bore testament to his previous hard work there and the garden at Milton Cottage was immaculate.

Willie Beattie retired from the FC in either 1975 or 1976, I think, as John Spittal and then I stayed at the forester's house in Strathconon, after Willie's retiral. John went into Achlorachan after Willie and I then occupied the house from November, 1981 to November, 1985 and was the last FC forester to bide there.

The FC forester's house in Strathconon was at Achlorachan, it was a fine one and a half storey, three bedroomed house, constructed from local stone rubble walls and lime mortar. The house was demolished in early 2020, by the Lego family, who now own the whole of the Strathconon glen, apart from the farm at Carnoch. It was replaced by a modern sleek, no doubt well insulated and fuelled by electricity, house that to my eye, appears "wrong"! Viewing the new house for the first time, on a return to the glen in 2023, was a real shock to the senses and felt like a bereavement. I will post some pictures and comment about the previous Achlorachan, as separate entries on this site, later. Comment left on 31 August 2024 at 02:07 by Bill Rayner

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