Forestry Memories Image Library

Forestry Memories

No: 610   Contributor: Norman Davidson   Year: 1948

Felling Gang, Farigaig Forest

Photograph courtesy of Willie Cameron, Rogart.

Taking a break from work in Farigaig Forest. From Left: 1.Unknown; 2.Tyronney (ex Inverness); 3.Roberson (ex Caithness); 4.Barnes. Front: 5.Hoskins (Newfoundlander); 6.Brown, 7.Maurice(Spelling?) MacLeod(ex Kinlochbervie and eventually went to Ardross Forest as a trapper – Willie believes ).

Willie Cameron was sent as ganger to Farigaig Forest under forester Murdo Macrae (ex Lewis) to complete his pre Forestry School training and the people featured above were the gang felling the birch trees which covered part of Farigaig Forest at that time. The trees were cut into logs and sold at roadside to a firewood merchant called Montgomery who blocked the timber and sold it as firewood around the area. The area was afterwards planted with conifers.