Ian’s father and uncles owned the lumber yard in Carrbridge and Ian started work there as soon as he left school.
He worked with his father all over Strathspey and tells of the physical labour involved in felling and moving the timber.
He also remembers the Lumber Jills, young girls from the cities who were working in the forestry for the war effort and who managed to do all the jobs the men were expected to do. They were accompanied at the camp in Carrbridge by the men from the Canadian Timber corps and the Newfoundlanders.
More mechanisation came in and after the yard was sold he started a pony trekking business – at 88 he was still in charge!
[This interview was recorded on 22/05/2017 as part of the “Not So Long Ago” project. The interviewer is Sandra Day, assisted by Betty Watson and Margaret Saunders]
