Woodland Trust Scotland has purchased a favourite summer picnic spot of Andrew Carnegie.
The millionaire industrialist and philanthropist bought the Skibo Estate, and its Ledmore and Migdale woods in 1897 and would return with his family to spend summer holidays until the outbreak of the First World War.
The Carnegies named their favourite woodland walk and picnic spot The Fairy Glen and in 1907 opened it to the public.
A carved stone marking the occasion was uncovered by Woodland Trust Scotland volunteers Jim and Saddhavati Mohahan, and site manager Ross Watson last week.
It had become overgrown with moss and grass.The stone reads:
‘FAIRY GLEN. Opened By Mr, Mrs and Miss Carnegie. 10th September 1907.’
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- A 1930 picnic (Photo: Dornoch Historylinks)
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- An old wooden bridge in Fairy Glen(Photo: Dornoch Historylinks)
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- Fairy Glen has been bought by the Woodland Trust Scotland (Photo: WTML)
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- Primroses taken by Louise Carnegie (Photo: Dornoch Historylinks)
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- The recently uncovered stone at Fairy Glen (Photo: WTML)
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- A tinted postcard of Fairy Glen (Photo: Dornoch Historylinks)
The Glen has a path through it today, but once had a more elaborate route through including nine wooden footbridges across the burn.
Woodland Trust Scotland purchased Ledmore and Midgale in 1993. At nearly 700 hectares it is one of the Trust’s largest sites, and its most northerly wood in the UK. The 2.5ha Fairy Glen remained in private ownership however, until this week’s completed purchase.
Woodland Trust Scotland site manager Ross Watson said: ‘This is a beautiful little glen with a charming burn tumbling through oakwoods dripping with mosses and ferns.
‘It would be a lovely addition to Ledmore and Migdale on its woodland merits alone, but the Carnegie connection makes it all the more fitting. We are extremely grateful for the support of The Carman Family Foundation which enabled us to acquire this site.’
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