106 Mr P, F. Tytler on the Ancient Forcsta of Scotland. 



To mark the names, or define the exact limits of these huge 

 woods, is now impossible ; yet, from the public records, (chiefly 

 the Rotuli Scotiae, lately printed at the expense of Government), 

 and the incidental notices of authentic historians, a few scattered 

 facts may be collected. 



In the north, we find the Forest of Spey, extending along the 

 banks of that majestic river ; the forests of Alnete, and of Tar- 

 naway, of Awne, Kilblene, Langmorgan, and of Elgin, Forres, 

 Lochindorb, and Inverness. The extensive county of Aberdeen 

 appears to have been covered with wood. We meet there with 

 the forests of Kintorc, of Caidenachc, Drum or Drome, Stocket, 

 Killanal, Sanquhar, Tulloch, Gasgow, Darrus, Collyn, and 

 what is called the New Forest of Innerpeff*er. In Banff was the 

 forest of Boyne; in Kincardine and Forfar the forests of Alyth, 

 Drymie, and Plater ; in Fife, those of Cardenie and Uweth ; 

 in Ayrshire, the forest of Senecastrc ; in the Lowlands, those of 

 Drumselch near Edinburgh, of Jedburgh, and Selkirk, Cot- 

 tenshope, Maldesley, Ettrick, and Peebles; of Dolar, Tra- 

 quhair, and Melrose. 



The counties of Stirling and Clackmannan contained extensive 

 royal forests, in which, by a grant from David I. the monks of 

 Holyrood had the right of cutting wood for building and other 

 purposes, and of pasture for their swine. In the reign of the 

 same king, a forest covered the district between the Leader and 

 the Gala; and in Perthshire, occupied the lands between Scone 

 and Cargil. Immense tracts which, in the present day, are 

 stretched out into an interminable extent of naked and desolate 

 moor, or occupied by endless miles of barren peat hags, were, 

 in those early ages, covered by noble forests of oak, ash, beech, 

 and other hard timber.* Huge knotted trunks of black oak, the 



• Ash and Beech have indeed a place in the Flora Scotica of Lightfoot and 

 of Hooker, and they have long ornamented our " woods and plantations." But 

 there is great reason to doubt their being truly indigenous to this country, or 

 Iiaving formed any part of the ancient forests. No traces of them occur in 

 our peat-mosses ; yet ash-1 eys and beech-niast would in all probability have 

 proved as indestructible as hazel-nuts or fir-cones, which are abundant in 

 many peat-mosses. Besides the oak, which seems greatly to have prevailed, 

 the ancient forests probably consisted chiefly of Fir, meaning the Pinus syl- 

 vestris or Scots-fir ; Birk or birch ; Hazel ; Wych Elm, or broad-leaved, not 

 the smooth wycli-elm of England ; Roan-tree or mountain-ash ; Yew ; AUer 

 or alder ; and Saugh, as the sallow is here called. — Edit. 



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