A three-year European Union funded project will explore the potential for using more Scottish timber on the external walls of buildings.

Building and timber experts from Scotland, Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands will be involved in the €885,000 “External Timber Cladding in Maritime Conditions” project which is receiving €511,000 from the EU‘s Northern Periphery Programme. The remainder is coming from other partners involved including the Forestry Commission, the Scottish Executive and Highland Council.

In Scotland, the research will look at whether Scotland’s expanding production of sitka spruce timber is suitable for cladding.

The project will be led by Highland Council whose sustainable development committee chairman Cllr Ian Ross said the aim is to demonstrate the effectiveness of timber for long-term external use and improved building performance.

&#8220Through this we hope to stimulate the demand for locally grown timber, which will have positive spin-offs in terms of promoting sustainable development.”

Highland Council sustainable development committee chairman Cllr Ian Ross.

He added: “Through this we hope to stimulate the demand for locally grown timber, which will have positive spin-offs in terms of promoting sustainable development.”

The project follows the publication last year of an illustrated guide to the history, current design and future potential for external timber cladding in Scotland – the result of a study carried out by Highland Birchwoods and the University of Dundee (TTJ March 23, 2002).