Loading Nevis River gravel to make roads - Nevis Forest
The photograph was taken by the late Finlay MacRae who was a District Officer in the Forestry Commission based in Lochaber at the time. The images are courtesy of his daughter Donna.
The excavator and lorry are working in the gravel banks of the River Nevis (Nevis Forest behind)and using the material most likely to make roads in Nevis Forest. The Ruston Bucyrus 10-RB EX-6 is part of P L (Paddy) Heron’s civil engineering fleet headquartered in Fort William. The blue Ford Thames lorry may be part of the fleet also. In those early days it was very common to rob the gravel beds in river floodplains as easy won material for building roads and construction sites.
In early 1960s the Corpach pulp mill would have been planned and construction underway. Forest road programmes had to be planned and worked on well in advance to allow timber and pulp harvesting operations to begin and supply the mill which opened in 1965.
Any comments and names of possible drivers very welcome.
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Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Other Vehicles and Machines, Road and Bridge Engineers and Works