XI. 



SCOTTISH FORESTS & WOODLANDS 

 IN EARLY HISTORIC TIMES. 



By Hugh Boyd Watt. 

 (Paper read ist April, i8g8.) 



When pre-historic times were merging into the historic in the 

 country which we now know as Scotland, the greater physical 

 features of the land must have been substantially the same as we 

 see them at present. Mountain, hill and lowland, islands, main- 

 land and coast-line, lochs and river-courses have remained fixed 

 in their main outlines since the time referred to, less than 2000 

 years ago. Changes have occured, and in relation to such a 

 feature as the coast-line, changes of consequence, but the early 

 map of Scotland by Ptolemy (150 a.d.) shows the outline of the 

 country quite recognisable to us, although the map is altogether 

 awanting in detail, and the curious mistake is made of turning the 

 northern part towards the east, our Mull of Galloway appearing as 

 the farthest north point in Scotland. But the superficial features 

 of the land have undergone great changes, partly from natural 

 causes and partly from the hands of man ; and one of the most 

 prominent of these has had to do with the forests and woodlands. 

 Persistent statements are made as to the prevalence of woods and 

 forests in this country when the Romans first entered it — with 

 whose coming written history begins for us. One or two dates 

 may fix the period. The Caledonian Britons are first mentioned 

 by Lucan (65 a.d.), but Scotland must have been visited by Pytheas 

 (who flourished about 330 B.C.) in the course of his adventurous 

 voyages of discovery, as Strabo gives us the name 'Opxag (Orkney) 

 from him, and this is probably the earliest written Scottish place- 



