Balloch Forest (Keith) map circa 1950
The portion of the OS map shows the early planting areas in Balloch Forest (Aberdeenshire) and the planting sequence runs from about 1930 up to 1946 with one area of 1952. The acquisition date of the area is not known. Vehicle access to the area was problematic initially as there were no public roads adjacent to the forest except that which passed through Grange Station and under a low railway bridge. This gave access to Garrowood - a house that may have been used initially by a forester but latterly by a worker or ganger. There is memory of a Mr Morrison? staying there. It is again uncertain if the land around Garrowood was used initially as a forest nursery or as a Forest Worker Holding before being planted up in 1950.
The old OS map has no date information other that the planting years shown in green on the then newly planted areas. Some areas have a planting year such as P36 indicating planted in 1936 but other areas have RP such as RP40 indicating a replanting in amongst felled crop or widely spaced standing trees. The area was obviously planted many years previously as there are conifer symbols on much of the OS map area and may have been planted by the Dukes of Richmond and Gordon in the 1840s and felled in the war period 1914-1918. However there is no information on the felling of this forest prior to being acquired by the Forestry Commission.
Not all shown here but the Compartment numbering runs from 100 upwards to 119 then jumps onwards to 145 suggesting multi acquisition dates. The county boundary also runs through the Forest.
Any comments and information on the history of the Balloch Forest area would be very welcome.
Please see large image link.
Groups: Maps of Forest and Woodland Areas, Northeast Scotland