Scottish Charcoal

Our lumpwood charcoal is made from sustainably managed wood, cut from the coppice site we manage in central Scotland and from local broadleaf woodlands. We make charcoal in a variety of ways, from traditional earth burns to the modern retort. By buying our charcoal, you’re supporting a local producer, creating employment and building a local timber economy, maintaining a traditional method of production, and reducing your environmental impact.

Did you know…

The UK imports around 85,000 tonnes of charcoal each year. Charcoal is often imported from countries at risk of deforestation, including Indonesia, Nigeria and Paraguay. The Earthworm Foundation estimates that charcoal is in Europe’s top five products that contribute towards global deforestation, along with beef, palm oil and soy. Don’t buy imported; buy local!

Buy now

How we make our charcoal

The wood

We only use wood from sustainable sources, either from hazel coppice we’re restoring, from tree jobs we do ourselves, or from local tree surgeons who have no other use for the timber. We then split the wood to size and leave it to dry until its moisture content is around 15%.

The burn

We use a retort kiln to make the charcoal, which has a closed chamber for the charcoal wood and a separate fire box. We load the wood into the chamber and light a big fire in the firebox. To become charcoal, the wood needs to release any remaining moisture, wood tars and wood gases. These gases are flammable, and are fed back into the firebox via the pipework in the kiln. This is the most efficient and environmentally friendly way of making charcoal.

The charcoal

Once the kiln has cooled, we empty the charcoal by hand and grade it by size, sieving out the dust and the smallest parts, or fines, which can be used as biochar. Our lumpwood charcoal is easy to light and great to use, whether you're in your back garden or in a restaurant kitchen. We supply BBQ charcoal to shops, restaurants, holiday homes, and direct to individuals.

Want to draw with charcoal?

Did you know we also make charcoal for drawing, in our new sister venture, Soul of Fire Artists' Charcoal? Launched in May 2023, we've set up Soul of Fire to reconnect art with nature and to make high-quality, sustainable materials much more accessible. Find out more on our website, Soul of Fire.