It’s been a ritual for many north-east family for decades— heading down to Kirkhill Forest some five miles north of Aberdeen to choose your family Christmas tree.
More than 6,000 trees annually leave the Kirkhill Forest site to adorn homes all over the north-east.
Were you there, in times gone by?
Renee Buchanan and her three year old son, Matthew from Old Meldrum went early for their tree in 1980, and were delighted with their choice.
Here’s Lesley Behrman of Milltimber walking away with her choice in 1981.
1981 was a snowy year, lending extra excitement to proceedings when eight-year-old Tracey Keith of Pitcaple made her choice.
Gilcomstoun Nursery children were at Kirkhill Forest in 1983 to pick a tree for the nursery.
Steven Elrick, 4, drew the dragging-away honours, and looks pretty pleased with their choice.
Nothing can happen at the forest without the help of workers on site.
At this point Kirkhill Forest was run by the then Forestry Commission.
Here are Robert McGregor, Banchory; Stephen Smith, Stonehaven; Neil Henderson, Dyce; and Rod Stephen, Kinellar loading up the trees in 1986.
And in 1989, six-year-old Barbra Williams of Tarves picked out the family tree and shouldered it away.
She looks pretty happy with her choice.
“Now to get it home,” says Anne Reid of Westburn Road, Aberdeen, as she and her children Alison (6) and Tim (9) share the load of their Christmas tree in 1982.
You’d think baubles grew on trees — forestry worker Alex Wilson with the first of the silver firs cut at Kirkhill in 1987.
That year, Forestry Commission staff were expecting to shift 8,000 trees for the festive season.
Admiring one of the Christmas trees on sale at Kirkhill Forest in 1982 was Debbie Whalen of Westhill. With her was forestry worker Alex Mitchell of Kinellar.
Forestry workers parcel up trees from all over the region ready for sale at Kirkhill Forest sales office in 1980.
They’re watched by Doreen Munro and her 2-year-old son David, who have already chosen their fine specimen.
Bursting into colour now, it’s 1994 and forestry worker Andy Kerr from Banchory is getting ready for an expected surge in demand for trees at Kirkhill Forest.
He seems unconcerned by any pine needles in his ear.
One of Tyrebagger’s forest worker/students, Stuart Chalmers, steps up to help Sarah Maloney (12) of Blackburn with her tree.
The trees don’t just grow themselves.
Here forester John Clark checks one of the Christmas trees at Kirkhill before the December rush in 1992.
A mountain of trees surrounds Forestry Commission worker Alistair Angus at work at the Christmas tree depot off the Tyrebagger road in 1996.
The previous year the depot had sold 9,300 trees.
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