A couple of weeks ago my husband and I were visiting Dollar, an affluent area in the central belt of Scotland. While parking the car we noticed a rather strange object next to the edge of the stream, on closer examination we discovered it had, at one time, been the trunk of a tree. This strange object had animals carved into it and a small plaque displayed the name Rodney Holland, Chainsaw Carving.

The story..............

'The tree was rotten in the middle but there was enough left to leave a good stump. The community needed to do something with it and quick! So they contacted Moniaive, Dumfriesshire. chain saw expert Rodney Holland

As a result a competition was run in the school to find out what the school children would like to be carved on the tree. The really bad news was that their suggestions although excellent and sensible were not suitable because of the nature of the diseased tree. The debate was opened up to the public and it was decided to portray what the tree saw in its lifetime, over the ages. That is fish, owls, squirrels and other wildlife. Inspired by the suggestions, Rodney carved a collage of what the tree supported.

The Council, the School and Members of the Community where overjoyed. The picture at the top right of this page shows the top of that same transformed tree stump'.

Rodney also gives demonstrations of the art of ‘chainsaw carving’ and is happy to appear at local, national and international events. It’s always a crowd pleaser!

Examples of Rodney's craft can be found in public places and gardens all over the country including the famous Gretna Green Blacksmith's Shop.

He gets his inspiration from the stunning scenery and local wildlife found in Dumfries and Galloway.

For more information visit his website www.chainsawcarving.co.uk