Forestry Commission Scotland Moray manager Phil Whitfield and forester David Hay revisited history when they piloted a raft of logs down Scotland’s River Spey.
The pair travelled six miles, using poles to guide the raft which was made of 16 Scots pine logs tied together. Up until 100 years ago, floating logs down the River Spey was the main method of transporting them from the Speyside forests to the shipbuilding yards on the coast at Garmouth and Kingston.
The two foresters, who were inspired to make the journey by a book by local historian Jim Skelton, were thrown off the raft twice. They said the trip made them realise how dangerous the work was and how tough the men that did it had to be.
