Marine timber supplies- west coast Scotland

[NormanS]

Sadly, Sandy MacDonald is tied up with the roofing timber for the new Ardnamurchan distillery.
Looks like it will have to be sawn timber from Patersons or Gilmore and Aitken; I will have to twist arms to try and get someone local to collect and machine it. Difficult!
Phil

That's a pity. Is there still a sawmill at Killiechronan, at the head of Loch na Keal? They might be able to help you, but honestly, I don't know if they are still in existence. Worth a try, when they are so local.

 

[Quandary]

Argyll Green Woodworkers (sic) is a voluntary organization that used the bandsaws and planers etc. in the wood mill on the Ormsary Estate to convert all sorts of timber, they worked with both hardwoods and softwoods and a couple of years ago machined all the timber (hybrid larch framing, cladding and tapered shingles) for a neighbours hexagonal gazebo that I had run off some details for. I think the timber worked out at a couple of hundred pounds excluding delivery so they were not charging for labour. I heard that the mill building had been damaged and they were looking for a shed to move the machinery to. If it is not to far from you to be an option I could follow them up and see if they are back in business.

Alternatively google ASHS (Association of Scottish Hardwood Sawmillers) there are a couple of members on the Sound of Mull near Loch Aline.

 

[[32511]]

Killichronan seem to have given up, as the road to them has a very limited weight restriction. I thing they have a mobile saw, but it is just for ripping out joists and similar from the local larch- not a timber I would want to use.
I have emailed Argyll Green Wood to see if they can help.
A group of us are going to Seil on Saturday, to see how the Seil and Kilmartin St.Ayles skiffs have turned out- I might get more info from them.
Phil

 

[Bilgediver]

Killichronan seem to have given up, as the road to them has a very limited weight restriction. I thing they have a mobile saw, but it is just for ripping out joists and similar from the local larch- not a timber I would want to use.
I have emailed Argyll Green Wood to see if they can help.
A group of us are going to Seil on Saturday, to see how the Seil and Kilmartin St.Ayles skiffs have turned out- I might get more info from them.
Phil

Say Hi to Webby as he is part of the Seil crew

 

[Quandary]

Killichronan seem to have given up, as the road to them has a very limited weight restriction. I thing they have a mobile saw, but it is just for ripping out joists and similar from the local larch- not a timber I would want to use.
I have emailed Argyll Green Wood to see if they can help.
A group of us are going to Seil on Saturday, to see how the Seil and Kilmartin St.Ayles skiffs have turned out- I might get more info from them.
Phil

Scottish (European) larch is not regarded as particularly durable but hybrid larch has been extensively grown here for over a century now. Provided all sapwood is avoided it is probably next to cedar for a durable softwood and much stronger, however most stuff that we use for external cladding etc. is just air dried so subject to too much shrinkage for boatbuilding. After the accidental discovery of hybrid larch, (a cross between Japanese and European, neither of which was durable when grown in Scottish conditions), it was used for planking many Scottish fishing boats, go down to the pier and have a look. It is not so fast growing so it tends to be harvested at quite a small trunk diameter these days which makes it difficult to extract good heartwood boards, but if you could find a couple of big trees you could do a lot worse.

 

[NormanS]

Scottish (European) larch is not regarded as particularly durable but hybrid larch has been extensively grown here for over a century now. Provided all sapwood is avoided it is probably next to cedar for a durable softwood and much stronger, however most stuff that we use for external cladding etc. is just air dried so subject to too much shrinkage for boatbuilding. After the accidental discovery of hybrid larch, (a cross between Japanese and European, neither of which was durable when grown in Scottish conditions), it was used for planking many Scottish fishing boats, go down to the pier and have a look. It is not so fast growing so it tends to be harvested at quite a small trunk diameter these days which makes it difficult to extract good heartwood boards, but if you could find a couple of big trees you could do a lot worse.

Good "Boatskin" larch is / was mainly but not entirely grown in the east of Scotland. You're looking for slow growth, so that the growth rings are close together, and was traditionally found on north facing slopes. Many years ago I bought 3 boatskin larch trees in Perthshire, for a major refurbishment of a wooden fishing boat.