Dovetail is a new small business, started about 3 years ago by Steve McLean in Stirling. He is self-taught, and worked in the building industry as a civil engineer before beginning full time work as a furniture maker.

Steve’s first commission was from a local couple who wanted him to design and make a kitchen from Scottish wood. Since then his business has expanded; he designs and makes farmhouse kitchens, installs hardwood floors, and makes bespoke furniture for clients from all types of Scottish hardwood, oak, elm, ash, beech and sycamore. He also makes mantels and fireplaces, finishing each piece of wood with great care to bring out the natural pattern of the grain. The wood is all finished with natural oils and beeswax.

Dovetail can also construct and erect oak frame porches and small extensions on site.

At all times, Dovetail strive for the highest degree of craftmanship - each piece they make is unique.

In all its dealings, the company is guided by simple but sound social and ecological principles.

"We believe in an environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable approach to our forests. We will therefore only deal with companies with a similar approach.

We are keen to promote the beauty and usefulness of our indigenous Scottish timbers. We therefore work predominantly with home-grown and locally sourced reclaimed timbers. By so doing we will be supporting local enterprise, help our woodlands have a sustainable future and ensure that old usable timbers are not wastefully discarded onto landfill sites.

We feel it is important to put back more than we use and to this end, for every tree we use to build our furniture we provide 5 sapling replacements." Extract from Dovetail Environmental Policy

You can contact Dovetail through their website at www.dovetailscotland.com

The Stables, Dunaverig Rural Enterprise Park, Ruskie, Thornhill, Stirling FK8 3QN