What is Sgilean na Coille?

The aim of the Sgilean Na Coille project is to strengthen the economic and cultural role the abundant woodland resource plays in the lives of the people of the Sunart Oakwoods Initiative Area (Ardnamurchan, Morvern, Moidart, Sunart and Ardgour).

This will be achieved by providing a two-year programme of locally run skills workshops, demonstrations and awareness raising events. The project will focus on the following themes:

Woodland Management and Utilisation - Particularly Woodfuel and Construction Timber

Non timber Products

Health and Fitness

Woodland Tourism

Woodland Restoration Techniques

Training and events will not just be based around obvious woodland skills such as chainsaw or machinery use but also developing other uses such as crafts and woodfuel. The project would also like to help re-establish traditional skills and techniques that have been forgotten or could be passed to a new generation.

The project is keen to work with individuals and local groups to identify subjects for training and other events, and would try to be as flexible as possible to local demand.

The project will run in close collaboration with the Valvestino communities of Northern Italy, a mountain region that shares many of Sunart's development challenges such as an abundant but poorly managed woodland resource and limited skills base for woodland utilisation. It is anticipated that this collaboration will include exchange studies on subject such as:

History of Wood Utilisation

Species/Habitat Study

Sustainable Land Management