Forestry Memories

Storm damage to tree crop in Aberdeenshire - 1953

Storm damage to tree crop in Aberdeenshire - 1953

Date Added: 20 November 2010 Contributor: Norman Davidson Year of Photo: 1953 Picture No: 703

Photograph courtesy of David Paterson, Edinburgh.

David was an Honours Student in 1952/53 under Prof. Mark Anderson at Edinburgh University and part of his remit was to record the effects of the 1953 January storm on the forests around Aberdeenshire. The following photographs (700- 708) shows some of the damage to the forest crops on Fyvie, Blackford House, Forglen and Hatton Castle Estates.

Fyvie Castle area and David records:

‘The Old Wood.
Old Red Sandstone ridge east of the Castle with 150 year plus beechwood on upper slope. Mixed conifer, mainly Norway spruce, middle aged mixed into old wood in foreground.
Rooting deep.
Line of storm very clear-cut, slightly swinging to top left.

Viewed from the field above West Lodge (Tifty Lodge ie from the SW)’.

Groups: Forestry Areas, Gale 1953, Northeast Scotland

2 Comments

I remember the “big bla” as it was known locally. I am Ellon born and bred, spent decades overseas but am happily living back home. Am very interested in recent history- and folk- and intend to record as much as I can research Comment left on 31 January 2022 at 19:16 by Alison Lyons
I remember the gale of 1953. My earliest memory. My father the late George Raeburn Ellon solicitor and keen ornithologist bundle my twin sister, older brother and me into our car and drove us round Esslemont. Gight and Haddo to witness the devastation. He told how a squirrel ran up David Gordon (later Lord Aberdeen)'s leg. He was the tallest thing around! Comment left on 02 February 2022 at 16:49 by ALISON MARY LYONS
Form Goes Here