Isle of Skye Furniture Makers
Stuart Shone

A discreet sign announces the Isle of Skye Furniture Makers. The furniture maker himself is a tall, modest, quiet-spoken young man, whose workshop is a dark green agricultural shed on the family croft near Ardvasar in the Isle of Skye. Stuart always wanted to work with wood.

He was keen to live and work where he had grown up but, as many young islanders discover, limited employment opportunities made it difficult to turn the dream into reality. On his return from Fife, Stuart had to create his own work by becoming self-employed.

His proposal - to design and manufacture quality hardwood furniture - attracted an award from the Princes Scottish Youth Business Trust in 2000, and his workshop was built and equipped with grant aid from the Local Enterprise Council. Stuart is one of several PSYBT/LEC beneficiaries in Skye and Lochalsh. This type of support is vital to retaining a skilled young workforce in the island and expanding the range of trades being practised.

As we talk, I look round the workshop: the machinery, the timber waiting to be used, the work in progress and the finished items ready for collection. I wonder about the local demand for such high-quality furniture - obviously not cheap - and am pleased to hear that majority of orders come from within the island itself.

Sourcing suitable hardwood in Skye must be a bit difficult, I thought - the island isn't exactly renowned for its mature woodlands. It's not a problem for Stuart, who has an arrangement with the Clan Donald Trust just up the road, whereby he has first refusal on all their windblown timber. It's an ideal arrangement for both parties: Stuart has a plentiful supply on the doorstep and Clan Donald have a ready local sale which brings them a better price than the alternative of selling for firewood. The wood is mostly healthy elm, with some oak, ash, beech, sycamore and lime.

For customers, part of the attraction of Stuart's furniture is the story behind it - he can often tell them the exact origin of the tree from which their table, dresser or bed is made. A beech tree behind the Gaelic College at Sabhal Mor was specifically selected for a bespoke bedroom suite. What a special place that must have in the household where it now resides - and what a fine advertisement for this talented young Skyeman.

You can see Stuart's work at:
www.skye-furniture.co.uk

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