Caledonian Forest in the West of Scotland, 59 



about the year 1300, and that from various causes the ruin was 

 soon completed, so that the country at length became almost 

 quite deprived of wood. 



About the year 1300, Scotland was harassed by the selfish 

 and brutal policy of Edward I, when the succession to the Scot- 

 tish crown was disputed by Bruce and by Baliol. These " wars 

 of the succession," as they were properly named, continued 

 in various ways to injure this country for nearly two centuries. 

 Our impression, however, is, that this forest was destroyed near- 

 ly about the beginning of this period, that is, early in the 14th 

 century. 



From the local situation in which the family estates of Bruce in 

 Galloway and in Ayrshire were placed, these districts were more 

 attached to his fortunes than any other part of Scotland, arid of 

 course these were more contested than any other. To destroy 

 the shelter afforded to the Scots by their forests, the English 

 soldiers would certainly, by cutting or burning, destroy as many 

 trees as they could. We are informed that this was the custom 

 in former invasions of Britain. For instance, under the Emperor 

 Severus, the Roman soldiers in great numbers Avere employed in 

 destroying those woods which afforded protection to the natives 

 of Scotland. Many proofs of this destruction were seen some 

 time since in the extensive mosses situated on the river Forth 

 above Stirling. Roman roads and other antiquities were found 

 below the moss. Even the marks of the hatchet were observed 

 on the moss oaks which were deeply covered with peat *. A si- 

 milar policy would assuredly influence the Kings of England 

 during their wars in Scotland ; but through this dark and 

 gloomy period of Scottish history, the written records are so few 

 and so very deficient, that we cannot obtain much information, or 

 place any great confidence in them. 



Let us, however, make the probable supposition, that these 

 forests were partly destroyed by the invading enemies of Scot- 

 land. The wind thus admitted to tall and densely growing 

 trees would soon destroy the wood of a country. I had some 

 years since an opportunity of witnessing an event of this des- 

 cription, where a plantation of above 100 acres consisting of 

 trees of fifty years of age, was totally blown over or otherwise 



• Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. xviii. p. 321. 



