Members of the UK Forest Products Association (UKFPA) Scottish Regional Group have been given a guided tour of the Forest Enterprise Scotland offices in Inverness to highlight sustainable construction.
The building, in Smithton, Inverness, features locally sourced OSB and I-beams throughout, with Scottish-grown Douglas fir used in structural applications, including roof trusses and supporting beams.
Wood is also used to heat the building, with a 55kW automated wood chip-fired boiler fuelled by locally sourced materials.
“This has been a very interesting and informative visit and the new offices illustrate to very good effect what can be achieved with locally available wood products,” said Gavin Davidson, UKFPA north Scotland regional chairman.
“Above all, the building is an impressive showcase for Scottish forest products and sustainable construction.”
The tour was organised as part of the annual liaison between UKFPA’s Scottish representatives and Forest Enterprise Scotland.