Grantland Timber’s First Peterson Demo Tour

What We Set Out to Prove

This wasn’t just a product tour — it was a statement.
We took Peterson Portable Sawmills across the UK to prove that small-scale timber conversion
isn’t niche; it’s the backbone of a more resilient forestry economy.

Each stop revealed what happens when communities, estates, and farms take control of their own resource:
higher value, local jobs, and timber that never leaves the landscape it grew in.

Tour Highlights

• Rahane, Scotland

  Over the last decade, Scotland has lost 20 sawmills.
  This October, we put one back — and not just any sawmill,
  but potentially the largest mobile sawmill in the UK, maybe even the world.

  With a 5-foot cutting width and a 93-foot log capacity,
  this Peterson system was built to tackle the endless storm damage that has battered the west coast.
  Scotland’s problem isn’t a lack of timber — it’s a lack of conversion capacity.
  We’re changing that, one mill at a time.

• Boncath Lancych Mansion, Wales

  The estate owner had no way to convert her fallen trees after recent storms — until now.
  We demonstrated how Peterson sawmills are designed for disaster recovery:
  quick setup, on-site processing, and immediate value creation.

  The Pembrokeshire community turned out in force to see it happen.
  Fallen timber became a usable asset within hours.
  For Wales, this wasn’t just a sawmill — it was proof that rural resilience can be self-built.

• Grantland Farm, Devon

  Here in the South West, we brought together farmers, foresters, and woodmen
  to show that forestry isn’t separate from agriculture — it’s intrinsic to it.
  Timber conversion isn’t an afterthought; it’s part of land management.

  The message hit home: if you can grow it, you can mill it.
  Every farm has the potential to become its own timber yard.

• Marston Vale Community Woodland, Bedfordshire

  Once brick pits, now a thriving green space — Marston Vale is exploring how portable sawmilling
  can help community woodlands add value to their timber.

  Our demo showed that even reclaimed land can fuel a modern woodland economy:
  local conversion, local jobs, local identity.
  It’s about turning underused resources into a long-term asset for the community.

“Everywhere we went, the story was the same — fallen timber, wasted value, and no infrastructure left to deal with it.
The Peterson demo tour proved that one sawmill can change that entire equation.”