By Mark from The Boardroom & Logie Timber
Mark Councill, in partnership with Alec Laing, runs Logie Timber and its showroom, The Boardroom at Logie Steading. This tall tale is of the life of a tree
A Tall Tale
A Centuries-Long Life Well Lived
My real name is Fraxinus Excelsior but most people just call me Ash. I grew up on the beautiful Logie Estate in Moray and have always felt so grateful to live there. As a young whipper snapper, the Scottish elements could be tough, and the winters harsh. I learned early to be tough, to rely on my family and neighbours for protection in storms, and to cherish the warm summer days. One thing I was always grateful for is that I was never thirsty, Scotland is generous with its water.
As I grew big, strong and mature I often heard people calling me graceful; I suppose the years were kind to me and my beauty thickened with age. I loved my lush green summer leaves and always dreaded the autumn... being tall and standing outside naked in Scotland takes some getting used to.
I graced the landscape for hundreds of years and believe me, I saw some changes in my time; war, floods, storms, drought. Somehow I always managed to stay strong, maybe I knew deep down how much the world needed me.
Over time I felt myself beginning to tire. Standing up tall all day takes its toll after a while. I noticed my scars were struggling to heal; I was getting tired. I suppose in life we all succumb to age some time and I survived for a lot longer than most. I knew deep down that the disease was making me weak and that life as I knew it was about to change.
Rebirth: A New Life
The surgeons from Logie Timber who worked on me were incredible; they respected my dignity, treated me with care and respect and helped me to find my new life. Don’t get me wrong, there were some tough times. Being stripped of your glory is not easy but I soon began to learn of a new kind of beauty within me; my inner beauty was even more vibrant than my exterior.
After several operations and time at the mill it was finally time to move to my new home and boy was I looking sharp. They moved me with such precision and care and before I knew it I was living in the Board Room at Logie Steading. I am now a perfectly crafted river table and my deeply rooted history at Logie shines through my delicate grain. I get touched and stroked so much that I sometimes feel like a pet! I still see those people who helped me get to where I am today, they pop in a lot and often chat around me, I like those days. People often say they want to take me home, but this is and always has been my home.