Ready-to-burn kiln dried firewood delivered direct to Stornoway – new service for this part of Outer Hebrides

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There’s a new service for Lewis and Harris – reliable, on-demand deliveries of consistent quality firewood brought to your home.

Kiln-dried firewood is ready-to-burn fuel, ideal for efficient burning in a wood-burning or multi-fuel stove.

Now homes in Stornoway can order direct from a mainland supplier, who has opened up a new delivery .service to the area. There is an introductory offer using code ISLAND15

Ravensby Firewood is a small, family-run business founded and run by husband and wife Emma and Stuart Gillies in Carnoustie on the East Coast. The company, which has been sourcing, drying and delivering bags and crates of firewood across mainland Scotland, has extended its service to some islands, including mainland Orkney, The Shetlands, Arran, the Isle of Skye, Harris and Lewis. And now those in Lewis and Harris can order direct from Ravensby and have wood delivered to the kerb.

Stuart said it was whilst he was visiting the Isle of Skye that someone mentioned to him the problems of getting a reliable source of good-quality burning firewood on the islands.

“We have access to a brand new kiln production facility so we are one of the few companies who have a frequent, regular, and consistent supply of ready-to-burn firewood.”

Stuart Gillies

Where does the wood come from?

Ravensby Firewood sources the majority of its wood from their local area on the mainland, and to meet demand a small amount is shipped in from European forests which is standard within the firewood industry. Ravensby Firewood always use FSC (Forest Management Certification) wood which is monitored by the Forestry Commission. This means the trees that are chopped down for burning come from sustainable forest planting and will be replaced.

What type of wood is it?

Ravensby supplies mainly hardwoods and larch for burning. Stuart says they sell predominantly hardwood because it is a hot-burning wood which burns longer and gives a consistent heat.

But, he says, customer preference and different price points for different woods, or mixtures of woods, give consumers lots of options which can be seen by visiting their website.

The top quality wood is oak – the hardest wood and one which has the slowest burn time. Other hardwoods include beech, birch and sycamore and then there is larch which is the hardest of the softwoods and is the most economical wood fuel they supply.

Emma and Stuart GilliesEmma and Stuart Gillies
Emma and Stuart Gillies | submitted

What does kiln-dried mean?

A kiln is a huge metal lined drying shed which is powered by waste wood – a bi-product of the logging industry – which heats up to 60 or 70 degrees and draws moisture out of the wood, significantly speeding up the drying process.

Typically it can take four days for the wood to fully dry out – it has to be under 20% moisture levels to comply with regulations and the company’s facilities are regularly tested to ensure it is meeting the standard. If the same wood was left to air-dry naturally it could take up to ten months.

This, Stuart says, allows them not only to keep a consistent, regular supply, but gives customers the assurance of knowing the wood is as efficient and environmentally friendly as it can be.

“It makes it more efficient to burn but also means there is less smoke produced, which means less damage to the environment, and less soot building up in the chimney,” he said.

Shipping to Stornoway

Stuart, who set up the business with his wife in 2022, says he has been able to secure the services of a shipping agent to deliver supplies of his firewood to Stornoway.

“It’s a kerbside delivery service, but if the driver can wheel the pallet into your garden they will do their best to achieve this. Our target date for delivery is around 7-10 days from order placement” he said. “Although it’s more expensive to deliver to the islands we are working hard to keep the price as low as possible, and the more orders we receive the lower the shipping cost will be and we plan to pass on any savings we can to the customers.”

Stuart Gillies

There is a wide variety of pack sizes and types of logs that you can order – from crates of stacked wood (1.6m3 to 3m3). They also provide giant nets of firewood which are visually striking and their most popular selling item on the mainland. Customers can specify the type of wood – all oak or all larch for example – or have a mixed bag to give a variety of different hardwood pieces for the log pile or woodshed. A 1m3 load is equivalent to two standard loose filled bulk bags.

Customer reviews

Many mention the excellent customer service and value for money.

One customer said: “Ordered giant net plus kindling plus fire lighters. Excellent value. Most impressive was the exceptional customer service, pleasant, polite and helpful.… Delivery driver most helpful in placing my order where requested.”

Whilst another commented: “Wood is properly dry as well, unlike some suppliers I've tried previously…. Would also mention the delivery driver was great. An excellent service all round and will definitely get firewood from Ravensby again.”

And another said: “The product is as described on the website and is very well protected from the weather during shipping, and in my case remained weatherproof easily until I had time to stack. Excellent value for money”

Easy to order

Ordering can be done at the click of a button and you could be stocked up for winter in days.

The easy to use website means you can order exactly what you want, online, at any time. But if you need more information or advice, there’s a phone number to call where you’ll speak to a friendly and knowledgeable member of the family.

Visit the website here for more information or call on 01241 570 169. Don

Don’t forget the introductory offer using code ISLAND15

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