DARNAWAY FOREST. 3 



generally." For the two subjects, botany and geology, he 

 obtained 90 per cent, of marks for one and 80 per cent, for the 

 other. Lately I thought I would like to have the benefit of 

 his professional opinion and experience, after a survey of the 

 way in which we carried on our forestry operations in the North 

 of Scotland, in the county of Elgin, and so he came to stay 

 with me last autumn. On 23rd September, after leaving me 

 on his way southwards to England, he wrote as follows : — " I 

 think, after much consideration, that any landowner possessing 

 such land as yours, soil and climate being what they are, and 

 with such perfect equipment in the way of skilled labour and 

 supervision, and nurseries for yielding young plants just right 

 and at the convenient moment, should not only be benefitting 

 himself and his successors, and the community at large, by 

 planting all the waste or nearly waste land he has, but would 

 hardly be justified in neglecting to do so." 



DARNAWAY FOREST. 



It was suggested to me that an account of the afforestation 

 of what is known as Darnaway Forest would offer a suitable 

 subject for this address. Accordingly, in the brief space of time 

 at my disposal, I will endeavour to give a short sketch of this. 



The Natural Forest. — Originally, before any systematic 

 planting or afforestation had been undertaken, the district known 

 as Darnaway Forest was a wide expanse, very much larger than 

 the afforested area now bearing that name. It was a vast tract 

 of probably thinly-wooded country, producing no doubt trees of 

 a timber value, for there is a statement somewhere, but I cannot 

 give the reference, that in the reign of Edward I., when 

 the Comyns were the Custodians of the Forest, they were 

 ordered to supply 400 oaks for the building of Dornoch Castle. 

 It was a portion of what is known as the old Caledonian Forest. 



We have a detailed account of a Roup of Wood, which was 

 advertised as follows, to be held on the 3rd May 1729, when the 

 bids in Scots money were recorded, but unfortunately the 

 important item — the quantity and character of the timber — is 

 omitted : — 



Roup of Wood at Darnaway, 1729. 



"The said day the articles and conditions of the Roup of that 

 part of the Woods of Darnaway known as Killemuir and Greens 

 and the Braes of both places are to be sold by order and 



