ON THE MACKINTOSH ESTATE IN BRAE LOCHABER. 233 



XXVI. On the Woods and Plantations of the Mackintosh Estate 

 in Brae Lochaber. By James Hutton, Sub-factor, Roy 

 Bridge, Kingussie. 



The Mackintosh's lands of Glenroy and Glenspean in Lochaber 

 are situated in the wild and hilly district between Fort William 

 and Kingussie, 10J miles from the former, and 26 miles from the 

 latter. The length of the estate is about 1 4, and its greatest breadth 

 10 miles, and its area computed at 32,000 acres. Though its 

 woodlands compare favourably with those of other properties in 

 the district, they are of limited extent, and may be set down at 

 2500 acres. Except about 1000 acres of arable land in the low 

 grounds, the estate is chiefly pasture land, stocked with sheep and 

 black cattle. This may account in a great measure for the woods 

 not extending over a greater portion of the land. The sheep and 

 cattle brouse on the seedlings and young shoots, the young trees 

 are thus destroyed, and the grown trees cut down are not suc- 

 ceeded by others. The woods consist chiefly of indigenous trees, 

 the most common being the oak (Quercus robur), which here is 

 only of medium growth. It occupies the low grounds, being 

 seldom found at a greater elevation than 500 feet above the sea- 

 level. The birch (Betula alba) is next, and occupies a higher 

 elevation, appearing where the oak leaves off, and extends to about 

 1100 feet above the sea. These two species form the great bulk 

 of the natural woods, but other trees are interspersed, as the ash, 

 mountain ash, hazel, aspen, poplar, wild cherry, bird cherry, crab 

 apple, hawthorn, alder, saugh or willow. In autumn the varied 

 tints of their foliage give to the landscape a most pleasing 

 appearance. 



During the last and present centuries various other trees have 

 been introduced, as the elm, plane, beech, lime, larch, Scotch fir, 

 spruce, and silver fir, but except larch and Scotch fir, recently laid 

 down on slopes and terraces, these are planted to a limited extent 

 in hedgerows, in clumps, or by river-courses. They ai'e all healthy 

 and luxuriant, showing the suitableness of the soil and climate 

 to their growth. A considerable portion of the low grounds are 

 mossy, and being on an incline could be easily drained. As they do 

 not anywhere extend to a great breadth, and are diversified with 

 numerous knolls composed of clay, sand, and gravel, they ini°-ht 



