Around 1890 most of the exotic conifers planted in Scotland were between 35 and 60 years old. The majority of these trees had been planted on fertile and sheltered sites where they thrived. Hardly any attempt was made to try these trees out on more difficult sites, and in this respect the experimental work done by John Stirling Maxwell at Corrour and by the Office of Woods at Inverliever was breaking new ground.

The Corrour estate is situated in the middle of the Highlands around Loch Ossian in Inverness shire, just east of the West Highland Railway line. The Loch Ossian plantations were begun in 1892 and intended to improve the landscape and afford shelter for deer, but also to demonstrate that planting on elevated moorlands was possible. The conditions around Loch Ossian are not very well suited for forestry. All the plantations lie above the 1250 feet (412 metres) contour, the soil is poor and consists for the most part of peaty soils, and very exposed slopes.