Fuel

Throughout this site there is emphasis on burning wood and peat since both are available in the Highlands & Islands and both are renewable. (Peat obviously regenerates much more slowly than wood, but when harvested manually in modest quantities it is still capable of supplying some local needs at a low level.) The burning characteristics of wood and peat are very similar and a stove designed for one will just as easily burn the other. Peat produces much more ash than wood though so that the stove needs to be de-ashed more often.

Multifuel stoves as the title suggest burn a range of solid fuels in addition to wood and peat. Ordinary domestic coal is generally the least satisfactory fuel in closed stoves – there just isn’t enough air-movement to clear the soot produced. Therefore it is wisest to stick to smokeless grades as listed in your appliance handbook.

The following section deals with fuel basics.