Riddochs, Wood Merchants

The firm of A. G. and W. J. Riddoch Ltd., wood merchants of Rothiemay, was established in 1841 and produced timber for mining, fencing, boat building and boxmaking. It owned plantations and sawmills throughout the Northeast of Scotland including the sawmills of A.R. Watson and Co. (est. 1853) in Morayshire, taken over by the company  in 1943. Riddochs headquarters, originally at Tarryblake, moved to the Old Manse at Mannoch Hill in 1954.

After the death of Alex. Riddoch in 1957, part of Watsons was sold to Aberdeen-based John Fleming and Co. Ltd., who were expanding northward at that time and were to become direct competitors with Riddoch's during much of the 1960s and 1970s.

The Kilmallie mill was constructed in 1974 by Riddoch of Rothiemay Ltd., which was at that time the largest sawmilling company in Scotland, and about the same time they moved their office to Reidhaven Street in Elgin. Nearby Kilmalliel at Corpach, the Arjo Wiggins pulp and paper mill was a primary customer for wood chips until the early 1980s when Arjo Wiggins shut down the pulp side of its mill. By the mid 1980s Riddoch had to close the Kilmallie mill due to financial difficulties.

The miners strike of 1984-1985 also added to Riddochs difficulties and the receivers were called in in 1985. The east coast operation continued for a time as Riddochs Ltd. until it was sold to James Jones Ltd. of Larbert.