The Big Project - National forestry research

During the Year of Highland Culture 2007, HI-Arts joined a multi-lateral partnership between The UHIMI and the Forestry Commission Scotland to generate an oral history of forestry in twentieth-century Scotland. The outcomes of this research included a series of books, a multimedia CDROM and, the HI-Arts connection, The Forestry Memories website, whose link banner is still in the column to the right of this page. This research, however, was limited to just a few regions of Scotland. The intention of the team was always that this would go further, and take in all parts of Scotland. Accordingly, after much preperation this has finally reached fruition, and has been nicknamed, at least by members of the team, the Big Project.

This ambitious 3 ½ year project – A Social History of Scottish forestry in the 20th Century – will culminate in the publication of an authoritative account of the forestry
sector’s impact on Scottish rural society during the last 100 years. This book will draw on the recorded memories of
people who worked in forestry – private, state and allied sectors – and whose lives were affected by it. These interviews will be gathered by a team of experienced oral
historians and placed in the Highland Council archive in Inverness. Such testimony will be reinforced by research in
documentary archives and in published sources. The project – funded by the Forestry Commission (GB and
Scotland), the European Union and the Scottish Forestry Trust – will be undertaken by the UHI Centre for History
team put together in connection with Touchwood History. The team’s work will be overseen by Professor Jim Hunter –
with further guidance provided by Dr. Fiona Watson, a leading woodland historian and a Centre for History research associate. Overall responsibility for the project lies with Jim
Hunter, himself with strong family links with forestry (see below) and day-to-day co-ordination will be undertaken by
Mairi Stewart. She is again joined by Touchwood History principal oral historian, Dr Hugo Manson and new-comer to the team, Jill de Fresnes, an experienced oral historian whose
research has recently focused on women of the herring fisheries industry.

sam harrison learns about chainsaw safety

In paralell with the academic research, the Forestry Memories website has been expanded from the simple image library of before. There were many requests, comments, news items and links sent, that just didn't fit in snugly with the image library format, and whilst the image library is stil central to the site there are many more new features: news pages, team blog, guestbook, links and a special sign up page for the quarterly newsletter. All-in-all a hive of activity. Go on and have a look. It used to be said that there was no-one in Scotland for whom the forestry did not play some part. See if you can find your traces there.