The technology has been developed by JST Services (Scotland) Ltd and is being used by Egger Forestry Products Ltd to access previously inaccessible timber owned by the Astor family on Jura.
The floating pier is being used for the first time in an open sea location and facilitates the loading of timber directly onto vessels capable of carrying up to 2,500 tonnes.
"The existing piers on the island were unsuitable for the size of ship needed to collect the timber, and bringing out small loads, on fragile roads, and then onto a ferry was not feasible," said Viscount Astor.
Egger Forestry Products financed the construction of a new forest track leading to the floating pier. Timber is being exported to Irish sawmiller Glennons Brothers and to panel factories owned by Egger.
"This type of sustainable forestry activity has the potential to become an important part of the local economy in many remote parts of mainland Scotland, and islands off the coast, as it may help unlock their timber resources," said Egger Forestry director John Paterson.
