Black Wood
The names Crab’s Quicky and Iron Bridge originate from the days of Rannoch School - the Independent school that closed in 2002.
The canals mentioned on the map are ones dug in 18th century with a view to extracting wood from the Black Wood. The canals contoured and then wooden shoots were used to get the trunks down to the loch. Fortunately for the Black Wood of Rannoch the enterprise was a failure. It was difficult to get the wood past the Rocky section of the River Tummel between Kinloch Rannoch and Tummel Bridge. When the wood got to the Tay near Dundee some of it was swept out to the North Sea and lost.
The main part of the Black Wood has not been touched and so there are many big (granny pines) that could be three to four hundred years old. The forestry commission collects the seed from these large pines to grow more Scots pines. The Scots pine is, of course, a native tree and so when seedlings are planted by other organisations such as the Woodland Trust they want to know the provenance of the seed. The other established source of seed is Meggernie wood near Meggernie Castle in Glen Lyon.
Gunnar’s tree is at the west end of the Black Wood and there is a plaque on it to commemorate Gunnar Godwin who was instrumental in getting the Black Wood designated as a Forest Reserve. It is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest. (SSSI).
Links -
A link to information about Gunnar’s Tree and about Gunnar Godwin himself.
http://www.wolfbane.com/jazz/rannoch.htm
A link to a biography of Gunnar Godwin.
http://www.wolfbane.com/jazz/gunnar.htm
Bird links -
Crossbill video
Great Spotted Woodpecker Video
Nuthatch and Treecreeper video