The floodlights of the mill pierced through the early morning darkness as we hitched up our trailer, packed with a bespoke wooden display stand and a collection of timber samples, ready to showcase Logie Timber at this year’s RIAS Highland & Islands Architects (HIAA) Conference in Ullapool.
Despite the heavy rain on our way through Inverness, the skies began to clear as we headed west. The drive along the mountain road, with the sunrise reflecting off the lochs and the silhouette of the peaks on either side, was a reminder of just how special the Highlands are. Arriving into Ullapool, with its picturesque harbour and welcoming atmosphere, set the tone for the day ahead.
This year’s HIAA conference carried the theme “The Rising Tides” — a fitting reflection of how rural architects across the Highlands and Islands are joining forces to strengthen and celebrate regional architecture through collaboration and shared knowledge.
Mark and I were warmly welcomed to Ullapool Village Hall by HIAA Director Eilidh Izat and her team, who kindly lent a hand unloading our stand — a beautifully crafted piece designed by Hamish, which looked fantastic once assembled. As delegates began to arrive, many stopped by our stand to browse the timber samples and chat about their current projects. It was a brilliant opportunity to hear first-hand about the challenges architects face when designing in rural Scotland, and to share how our locally sourced Scottish timber might support their work.
Throughout the day, four inspiring talks were delivered by architects from across Scotland, each exploring the deep connection between contemporary design and the natural environment. It was an energising and thought-provoking event, and by the time we packed up around 5pm, we were both tired but buzzing with ideas — and delighted by the new contacts we’d made.
The following week brought an extra boost, with three enquiries from architects keen to arrange CPD sessions to learn more about our sawmill, our exclusive use of Scottish-grown timber, and our “Forest to Finish” approach.
If you or your team would like to visit our sawmill, or would prefer us to come to you for a CPD session, please get in touch — I’d be delighted to arrange something.
Rob Edmonds, Sales Manager at Logie Timber
Why not give us a call on 01309 611769 or drop me an email at rob@logietimber.co.uk
