Speymouth Forest – Ordiequish - Speyside Forest District
The map was recovered from shed at Newton that acted as a storage area for Forest Research who used the maps to locate forest and tree experiments in the field.
The map image is actually several 1:10000 scale forest stock maps digitally merged to show the Forestry Commission area around Fochabers. The A96 road runs through the southern area of Whiteash Wood about one third of the way down the combined map. The updated maps have not been annotated with the year of survey but the latest plantings are in the early 1980s and an estimated year of 1985 has been suggested.
The earliest area acquired in 1926 was named Ordiequish Forest and probably included the area known as Wood of Ordiequish and Wood of Cairnty just north of the railway line. The first forester recorded is named as Alex Warren. During the war (1945) another area was acquired and likely to have included Whiteash Wood and areas north of the A96 road but was named Speymouth Forest. However by 1946 Ordiequish and Speymouth Forests were amalgamated under the name Speymouth and managed by foresters J D Robbie and J Clark as recorded in 1948.
In 1971/72 Speymouth Forest managed by R (Bob) A Allison was amalgamated with Aultmore Forest (managed by Jack H Christie), part of Rosarie (managed by R (Bob) A Aitken) and all of Teindland Forest (previously managed by M Anderson). The Speymouth name was retained. Onwards in time in 1983 Speyside Forest District was formed from the amalgamation of Craigellachie and part Speymouth Forests only to be its self incorporated into Moray Forest District in 1989/90.
It is difficult to pick up the earliest plantings that have not been felled and replaced but there are still some areas of Scots pine and larch (SP 45) showing as planted in 1945 on the very southern area of Wood of Cairnty. In Whiteash Wood there are many areas of Scots pine annotated as planted in 1946 up to the high 1950s. Unusually also the eastern area comprising Compartments 1259 - 1290 have a very regular compartment lay out reminiscent of the early forests of the 1930s and there are some Scots pine labelled as 1931. Was this planted as part of Ordiquish Forest?
Any details would be very welcome. Please see the large image link below to see the areas in more detail.
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Groups: Maps of Forest and Woodland Areas, Northeast Scotland