An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Gaidheal > Volume 26, October 1930--September 1931

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AN GAIDHEAL.
An Dudlachd, 1930.
It provides more labour in winter when the
farm requires least, and also gives employment
for women and children. The Commission
estimated that there were six million acres in
Scotland suitable for planting.
The Forestry Commission was appointed in
1919 to carry out a national programme. This
was to consist in the planting of 150,000 acres
in Great Britain, spread over ten years. By
the end of the ten years’ period 130,768 acres
were planted, together with another 76,000
acres by local authorities and private owners.
You see that this falls far short of what could
be done. Up to 1929 over 128,000 acres of
plantable area had been acquired in Scotland.
This is only a little over a sixtieth part of the
ground which the Committee of 1911 thought
to be suitable. I am not criticising the work
of the Forestry Commission, who have done
all that is possible within the means at their
disposal. But it is obvious that there are still
great possibilities in this direction. The Com¬
mission in their Reports have some encouraging
things to say about Forest Workers’ Holdings.
These holdings are limited to ten acres each,
and to five holdings per 1,000 acres of plantable
land. The holders are guaranteed 150 days’
work in the forest. In one Report they said :—
“ The demand for these holdings remains good,
and the tenants appear to be contented.” In
their last Report they remark that in the poorer
agricultural districts this represents the only
way of arresting the decay of the countryside,
and that the flow of capital from buildings,
wages, etc., into the rural areas has rejuvenated
them, sometimes in a spectacular way.
Under the planting programme for the next
ten years, the total acreage to be planted will
be increased to 330,000 acres, together with
3.000 forest workers’ holdings. This, of course,
includes England and Wales. The Forestry
Sub-Committee advocated the planting of
1.770.000 acres, spread over 80 years.
If only half a million acres, or say a third of
this area, could be planted in Scotland within
the next 20 years, this might mean the creation
of, at least, 2,500 holdings, or a settlement for
10.000 people. To-day in Glen Mor there is
no more pleasing sight than that of the newly
planted hillsides and the holdings of the forest
workers.
The development of tourist traffic is urged
by many people. That traffic is a growing one.
It is no longer the case that the Highlands are
the pleasure ground of the rich only. The
small motor car has been much in evidence
within the last two or three years. The making
of the Perth-Inverness Road helped consider¬
ably, and when the new Glasgow-Inverness
Road is constructed, the stream of tourists
to the North will be further swelled. The new
steamers to the Western Isles should also help
these districts’
I want you to ask yourselves: Is it possible,
and if possible, is it desirable that the Highlands
should become another Switzerland ? We have
not got the sunshine of Switzerland, or the
same attractions of mountaineering, or still
less of winter sports, but we have some very
fine substitutes. I am not going to tell you
about our scenery or our fine air, or all the
subtle beauties of our glens and bens. We
have more variety than Switzerland, moor and
loch, and sea, and the tumbling burns, and the
scent of birch and heather and peat. Scotland
is also far more accessible to the motorist.
But the question of accommodation is often
difficult.
I frankly don’t believe the oft repeated tale
of the dearness of Highland hotels. I have
travelled in many countries, and what are
called first-class hotels, although often far
from being the most comfortable, do not differ
much as regards price. In the larger towns
in Scotland there are a fair number of moderate
priced hotels and boarding houses. But in
the Highlands there is certainly a shortage in
the height of the season, and in country places
a man not over-rich may have difficulty in
finding something suited to his purse. I
believe it would pay many hotelkeepers to
enlarge their premises. I know the season is
short, but if attractive terms were offered for
May and June ((two of the most beautiful
months in the Highlands)! think many people
would avail themselves of them.
I believe it would also pay a Company to
erect a large hotel in some attractive place,
and offer moderate inclusive charges, say at
the rate of £4 4s. a week. But there is still
the question, do we want the tourist ? Do
we want charabancs to disturb the quiet
beauty of our glens, and crowds of picnic-
makers to leave about the unpleasant records
of their meals ? The Highlands are a land
“ where peace comes dropping slow.” Are we
to barter this for a mess of pottage ?
If I could see the Highlands filled up with a
contented peasant population without these
things I would answer, “ No.” But I see no
such prospect. We are too poor to refuse any
reasonable addition to our resources. After
all, have not the dwellers in the towns some
right to our compassion ? We cannot keep all
the good things to ourselves. I doubt if the
Highlands will ever be unpleasantly crowded
with tourists, and if they are, it will only be
for three or four months, and we shall have
the country to ourselves for the remaining
eight or nine. So I am all in favour of encourag-