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Fodderty Woodturning

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Fodderty Woodturning

Bowls and other wood turned products, using mostly local wood which I source close to my workshop
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01/06/2026

MARKETS IN JUNE:

Tuesday 2nd POOLEWE TUESDAY MARKET 10 - 2.30
Saturday 6th HELENSBURGH HIGHLAND GAMES
Sunday 7th BALLATER DUCK RACE
Wednesday 10th DORNOCH MARKET 9.30 - 1
Saturday 13th PORTSOY BOAT FESTIVAL
Sunday 14th STRATHMORE HIGHLAND GAMES Glamis
Tuesday 16th POOLEWE TUESDAY MARKET 10 - 2.30

The next moon in the Ogham Tree Calendar is Saille, the willow, from the 15th April to the 12th May.

A tree associated with the moon, its cycles and its gravitational effect on water.
Flowering twigs used to be carried into houses, as this was said to benefit the health of the inhabitants, and the first form of aspirin was made from willow bark.

Apart from specialised items like cricket bats and clogs, willow wood is hardly used these days.
Willow stems and twigs are widely used for basket weaving, making this its primary use.

Willow wood is rather soft and fibrous, so I rarely use it for turning, usually only when the tree has a bit of history (like the one which had to be felled in front of my cottage last year).

28/04/2026

MAY MARKETS:

Saturday 2nd INVERNESS FARMERS MARKET 10 - 4
Sunday 3rd RALLYE AT THE RIVER 10 - 4 Banchory
Tuesday 5th POOLEWE TUESDAY MARKET 10 - 2.30
Friday 8th MADE IN ASSYNT 10 - 4 Lochinver
Saturday 9th MARKET ON THE GREEN 10 - 4 Drumnadrochit
Wednesday 13th DORNOCH MARKET 9.30 - 1
Saturday 16th OLD STATION MARKET 11 - 3 Strathpeffer (tbc)
Sunday 17th GORDON CASTLE HIGHLAND GAMES Fochabers
Tuesday 19th POOLEWE TUESDAY MARKET 10 - 2.30
Friday 22nd MADE IN ASSYNT 10 - 4 Lochinver
Saturday 23rd FIFE SHOW / Cupar
Sunday 24th BLAIR ATHOLL HIGHLAND GAMES
Saturday 30th DRYMEN SHOW

The fourth moon of the Ogham is Fearn - Alder.
18th March - 14th April.
I know, I`m not even trying to keep up anymore :-)

The tree is not mentioned much in folklore, apart from giving shelter to fugitives, and as a symbol for death, which most likely stems from the wood turning blood red when cut (though it looks rather orange than red)

Alder wood does not rot when submerged in water, therefore its major use was as piles for foundations of buildings in wetlands.
Rotterdam and Venice stand on alder piles, so does Wi******er Cathedral and most crannogs did in Scotland.
Its other main use was for making charcoal and gunpowder, as it has the right burning properties for this purpose.

Alder wood can be good for turning, but often it is too soft to achieve a good finish.
Burr is not very common in alder, but the few bits I had so far were stunning.

The tree thrives in wet and boggy places, and Britain`s largest Alder carr is at the Mound, in Sutherland.

In John Evelyn`s words:.... the alder is of all other the most faithful lover of watery and boggy places, and those most despised weeping parts, or water-galls of forests......

That`s probably why there`s so many in Scotland!

02/04/2026

Not much turning happened this month, a lot of preparation of wood for the future, and finally finished the sideboard (well, almost..)

APRIL MARKETS:
Friday 3rd MADE IN ASSYNT 10 - 4 Lochinver
Friday 10th PLOCKTON MARKET 10 - 3
Saturday 11th MARKET ON THE GREEN 10 - 4 Drumnadrochit
Tuesday 15th POOLEWE TUESDAY MARKET 10 - 2.30
Friday 17th MADE IN ASSYNT 10 - 4 Lochinver
Sunday 19th KINGUSSIE FARMERS MARKET 10 - 3
Tuesday 21st POOLEWE TUESDAY MARKET 10 - 2.30
Saturday 25th MARKET ON THE GREEN 10 - 4 Drumnadrochit

12/03/2026

The third moon of the Ogham calendar is Nion - Ash (18th February - 17th March)
Ash wood has many uses, due to it being extremely hard, but also elastic to some degree. Used for oars, wheels, sport implements, tool handles etc., it is one of the most useful hardwoods there are.

The wood itself is rather pale, but older trees can develop a darker centre, called Olive Ash, as it resembles Olive wood.
Rippled Ash is another visual effect, caused by either stress, heavy wind, genetics or on trees which grow on steep slopes.

Ash trees are larders for lots of animals with their keys, leaf litter, bark and buds.
In the Highlands it was believed that the vigour with which an ash tree supports itself and its surrounds would extend to humans.
It was supposed to have a benign influence on the newborn, and people used to give sap of the ash to babies, and put green ash twigs on the birth chamber fire.

Dark is the colour of the ash
Timber that makes the wheels to go
Rods he furnishes for horsemen`s hands
And his form turns battle into flight.

O`Grady 1892 "Song of the forest trees"

02/03/2026

MARCH MARKETS
Saturday 7th INVERNESS FARMERS MARKET 10 - 3.30
Tuesday 31st POOLEWE TUESDAY MARKET 10 - 2.30

12/02/2026

The second moon of the Ogham tree calendar is the Rowan.
Its Celtic name Luis (ᚂ), stands for the letter L, and its moon lasts from the 21st January to the 17th February.

In Scottish folklore this would be one of the most magical trees, and even today some tree surgeons refuse to cut down a rowan tree, as it is considered bad luck.
Rowans were often planted near houses for protection from bad luck, evil and witches!
A Rowan twig would be placed above a doorway as protection against misfortune.

Rowan wood is usually not commercially available. The tree tends to become multi-stemmed close to ground level, so rarely develops a reasonably sized trunk.
The only traditional specific use of this wood I could find was for bow staves, when Yew wood was not available.

The Rowan in this post mostly came from Fodderty, where a few trees had to be felled (not by me!) to create drainage for a section of the Peffery Way.

My Ogham-ware will be with me at Cromarty Community Market this Saturday 14th February.

Rowan tree and red threid
Gar the witches tyne their speed.

20/01/2026

The Ogham tree calendar states that the "Birch moon", Beith (ᚁ), lasts from 24th December to 20th January, meaning I`m a bit last minute with my post :-)
Beith stands for the letter B and is the first letter in the Ogham alphabet.

So this month was all about Birch wood for me, the wood for the items in the photos came from three different trees here in Fodderty.

Birch wood does not get used much in furniture, partially because it is not often commercially available due to the comparatively small size of these short-lived trees. Its main uses today are for plywood and firewood.

However, I really like working with it, particularly its smell when turned.

John Evelyn wrote in his "Sylva" (1664) :
"Though birch be of all other the worst of timber, yet has its various uses......... also for dishes, bowls, ladles, and other domestic utensils, in the good old days of more simplicity, yet of better and truer hospitality."

I like his thinking :-)

09/12/2025

Additional to the December markets from my last post I will also do a pop-up shop at Black Isle Berries on Sunday 21st and Monday 22nd, from 9 - 4 (-ish)
You`ll find me wrapped up warm in the polytunnel :-)

05/12/2025

Some chopping boards in elm, ash and sweet chestnut for the market at WASP Creative Academy Inverness this weekend.

20/11/2025

New stock for the remaining markets of 2025:

NOVEMBER
Sunday 23rd HANDMADE SHOW Perth Concert Hall 10.30 - 4.30
Saturday 29th OLD STATION MARKET Strathpeffer 11 - 3
Sunday 30th NATURALLY USEFUL WINTER MARKET Forres 11.30 - 3

DECEMBER
Friday 5th WASP ACADEMY Inverness 4 - 8
Saturday 6th WASP ACADEMY Inverness 10 - 4
Sunday 7th WASP ACADEMY Inverness 10 - 4
Saturday 13th CAWDOR CASTLE CHRISTMAS Market 10 - 4
Sunday 14th CAWDOR CASTLE CHRISTMAS MARKET 10 - 4
Saturday 20th INVERNESS FARMER`S MARKET 10 - 4
Sunday 21st BLACK ISLE BERRIES pop up shop Tore 9 - 4
Monday 22nd BLACK ISLE BERRIES pop up shop Tore 9 - 4

Address

Fodderty Farm Cottage
Dingwall
IV159UE

Telephone

+447914216083

Website

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