THE ANNUAL EXCURSION. 69 



The Society was also hospitably received on the other estates 

 visited. 



Tuesday, June 25M. 



Ballochbuie. — The business of the Excursion started on 

 Tuesday morning with a visit to the western portion of the 

 old Ballochbuie Forest. This forest forms the centre of a very 

 large area of woodland — an area which covers many square 

 miles, stretching unbroken from Ballater on the east to 

 considerably beyond Braemar on the west, a distance of more 

 than twenty miles. The party was under the guidance of 

 Mr John Michie, M.V.O., His Majesty's factor at Balmoral, 

 who gave much interesting and valuable information, not 

 only on the old wood alone, but on the general forestry of 

 the district. The Forest of Ballochbuie is situated in a great 

 hollow among the hills, the lowest elevation being nearly 1000 

 feet above sea-level, while the highest point at which good timber 

 grows is about 1500 feet, though the trees persist up to 1800 

 feet. The forest consists of Scots pine alone, the remains of the 

 old Caledonian Forest, true natives in their native habitat. 

 Practically no cutting is done in the wood, but individual trees 

 are removed when they die, and the oldest of these have been 

 found to be nearly 300 years of age. Mr Michie gives the age 

 of the oldest specimen at from 260 to 300 years, but the greater 

 part of the area is occupied with trees somewhat younger. 

 All the trees are big, and many of them are of vast size with 

 tall, clean, full stems. On the lower ground, where the trees 

 are biggest, one specimen was found to measure nearly 

 100 feet in height, and to girth 7 ft. 8 ins. at 5 feet from the 

 ground. Even at higher elevations the size was great. Between 

 1200 feet and 1300 feet a number of trees were found to 

 measure from 3 feet to 5 ft. 3 ins. in circumference at 5 feet 

 from the ground, but in the same place a single tree girthed 

 II ft. lo ins. at 5 feet from the ground. Many of the trees 

 contain over 100 cub. feet of timber, but some free-standing 

 specimens contain between 200 and 300 cub. feet. As can be 

 readily understood the stock is somewhat uneven ; in places 

 there is a fairly full stand while in others the crop is thin. 

 In the lower ground a considerable area has been enclosed 

 against deer. Within the fence natural regeneration took 

 place, and on part of the ground a fairly full crop was secured. 



