By Iain Ferguson

The ember of idea on how to help people unable to leave home during Coronavirus restrictions has turned into a blazing success for a young Caol teenager who delivers Hotties Heat Logs on her bicycle.

During the period when schools were shut down Lucy was thinking of ways to make some pocket money but also how to get in touch with people who may be isolated and have a chat to try and make them feel better.  She also wanted things to be as ‘Green’ as possible, so planned using her bicycle rather than asking parents to drive her about.

She then hit on the idea of selling ‘Hotties’  – logs made from wood chips at BSW’s Fort William Sawmill where her Dad, Ollie, is the Manager.  These fitted in with her eco friendly plans, could be easily carried for delivery and would be very useful to people who may not be able to get out, or might be too heavy for them to carry.

With a little advice she set up a Facebook page for ‘Lucy’s Logs’ and a few months on has now fulfilled her intentions with a regular base of people building up, not only for logs,  but ready to chat.  She was also helped by owners of local bike shop, Off Beat Bikes,  who lent her a trailer to carry the logs.

Now back at school she delivers on a Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday, even during the wild weather at the beginning on November. She has travelled as far as Upper    Achintore (about 5 miles away and up a long, steep hill) with her Dad running along beside her.  He added this run into his year long charity challenge of running 5k per day to raise money for the Fort William Junior Football squad.

Lucy said: “I have been really surprised by the amount of people who have helped support me by ordering logs, I even have customers who have set up a weekly    delivery which is great for them and for me.

“Using my bike makes it very green and the logs are very efficient at producing heat which is better for everyone. Some people also arrange when I can deliver and wait for me to get there.  It’s always nice to stop and have a chat with them too”.

This article was originally featured in the December issue of Lochaber Life Magazine.