Bin Forest (Huntly) Planting map 1953 and Bin Planting Records (R1) from 1932 -1951
The Bin Forest map shown above and in the large version link below this text highlights the grid iron lay out of the compartments as was the custom in the 1920s and beyond. The compartment numbers are in red numbers located centrally in each compartment. The planting year is shown in faded green ink (or black) such as P29 (1929) or FY 54 (1954) and has a green boundary around the extent of planting for that year – sometimes very difficult to make out. The first planting appears to be in 1926 shortly after the acquisition of the land from James Jones the sawmilling company that had purchased the area from the Duke of Gordon and felled the trees that had been planted there in 1839/40.
The forest comprises of the main Bin hill area and a number of separate additional areas of Dunbennan and Milleath Woods to the south west; Garrowmuir, Brownhill, Whitehill and Cumrie Woods to the north; Kinnoir, Longmoor, Auchmill and Boganspro Woods to the east. The dark areas to the south are areas subsequently sold but the reduced nursery area has at this point still been retained. Throughout the map eight Forest Worker Holdings are annotated but the Forest Worker houses at Bin Moss are not shown. An redrawn and clearer map (circa 1966) was produced and can be viewed in Picture No 6003 on this website.
The R1 planting records (about A3 size) for the Bin Forest from 1932 to 1951 are show in the attached PDF (link below this text) and illustrate the care and diligence taken in recording of the species of plants, critically the identification number of the seed they were grown from, their age, consignment number, originating nursery, quantity in thousands, compartments in which they were planted and area in acres covered by that consignment of plants (young trees) and also those used in Beating Up (replacement of dead or missing trees in previous years’ plantings). Normally working sheets were kept during the actual planting season, and from these, a fair copy constructed with summary sheets and totals all clear and exact! There was a special sequence for entry by species beginning with Pines then Larches, Spruces, Firs, other exotics and broadleaves at the end. These records were poured over many years later by Forest Research staff to identify particular seed origins that proved to be high quality with fast growth characteristics. The aim was to select crops for collecting seed from in future and also those containing potentially top grade ‘plus trees’ to begin a programme of planting of special seed stands with highest quality trees and their crosses. Seed identification numbers can be checked on the register in No 5295 on this website. The seed ident number consists of two parts - the year the seed was received at the registration store and the sequence number of receiving that consignment - hence 28/46 the year 1928 and 46th lot registered that year.
The sequence of head Foresters at the Bin may be:
Frank J Clark 1st at Start 1926 first few years perhaps 5-6 (word of some trouble and moved)
Willie Milne until the war (R1 writing style could indicate 1933- 1938 Moved to Durris)
Willie Mackay war until 1949
Danny Urquhart 1949 – 1971
Hamish Seaton 1971-1972
Amalgamated with Clashindarroch under Davy Anderson circa 1972/3 as Chief Forester post
Groups: Forestry Records, Booklets and Reports, Maps of Forest and Woodland Areas