FORESTRY DEVELOPMENTS AT CRAIBSTONE. 53 



13. Forestry Developments at Craibstone.^ 



By P. LnsLii:, M.A., B.Sc. 



The estate of Craibstdne, which was purchased by the North 

 of Scotland College of Agriculture in 19 14, is situated about five 

 miles from the city of Aberdeen, and two miles from the nearest 

 suburban railway station. Among the varied purposes which 

 the estate is intended to serve is that of a forest garden, or small 

 demonstration area, for the Forestry Department of the College 

 and the University of Aberdeen. 



There are about 260 acres of woodland on the estate (includ- 

 ing 180 acres of unstocked ground). Part of this is in scattered 

 patches about the mansion-house, but the bulk is in the west 

 part of the estate on the lower slopes of Brimmond Hill. The 

 timber, mainly Scots pine and spruce, is of different ages, *and a 

 proportion of it was recently sold to the Government Home- 

 Grown Timber Committee. Owing partly to the increase in the 

 value of timber since the war, the amount received for the wood 

 sold to the Committee considerably exceeds the price paid for 

 the whole of the timber on the estate when it was purchased by 

 the College. Nor will the removal of this timber in any way 

 lessen the educational value of the area, as it is only the 

 surplus timber, which would have been of little value for 

 educational purposes, that has been sold, and the richness and 

 variety of the woodlands will not be in any way impaired. 

 The woods which have been left include compact areas of 

 mature and middle-aged woods in addition to the policy woods, 

 and will be of the greatest value for forestry instruction and 

 experimental purposes. 



The avenue leading up to the mansion-house and the policy 

 grounds are stocked with a variety of native and exotic trees, 

 both hardwood and conifers, which add greatly to the interest of 

 the place. There are already here all the elements of a fine 

 arboretum, and under the College of Agriculture this feature will 

 be developed. All the commoner species of trees are well 

 represented, and there are some well-grown specimens of 

 beech, lime, elm, ash, oak, chestnut, poplar, false plane, Norway 

 maple, larch, Scots pine, silver fir, Douglas fir, spruce and Sitka 

 spruce, as well as species more rarely seen in the North of 



' An interesting article on Craibstone appeared in the Aberdeen Free Press, 

 on 7lh August 1914, on which some of these notes are based. 



