Culbin Forest – trials of thatching methods and search for suitable machinery
This was part of an archived file recovered from old shed store at Newton by Malcolm Hobson and Ruaridh Maxwell of Forestry and Land Scotland.
There are seven pages in the PDF that can be accessed via the link below. The first three pages describes a trial and costs of covering the bare sand with Corsican pine needles and then spreading a slightly thinner layer of branch thatching on top. The report was written by forester E A Stewart.
The fourth page and fifth pages appears to be a memo from the Edinburgh Head office for Scotland to Frank Oliver, Conservator East Scotland with copy to J A M Kennedy, District Officer covering Culbin that discusses the high costs of thatching the sand dunes and is suggesting a mechanical loader to speed up the process.
The final three pages is a letter from Messers A G and W J Riddoch (sawmills) who must have been contacted for their advice on how to mechanise the thatching operation and a follow up reply by Frank Oliver, Conservator East Scotland, based in Aberdeen. They mention four wheel driver tractors (Latil) and Chevrolet or ex-army Morris that they use.
Groups: Forestry Areas, Northeast Scotland , Timber lorries and loaders