Located about 10 miles off the northern coast of mainland Scotland and sitting between the Atlantic Ocean and North Sea is the beautiful and wild archipelago of Islands known as Orkney. It was here that, with a need for self-reliance and protection from the elements, the unique heritage craft of Orkney Chair Making was established.

Born and raised on Orkney, Kevin Gauld always had a personal connection with the craft and has been working with wood since he was a child. As a teenager he spent evenings and weekends in a small shed in his garden, making various pieces from scrap pieces of wood: model boats, simple shelf units to hang on the wall, boxes and some wood carvings.

“I fondly remember the pieces that I made and I still have some of them. I remember many of the mistakes that I made along the way and the pieces that didn't go to plan. It was the start of my journey, developing the skills and determination that is required for a woodworking career. I remember the frustration of working in a small space with a limited number of tools.”

After school, an apprenticeship with a well-known local furniture maker developed his passion for the craft further, developing his skills there for a further 9 years before starting out with his own business, The Orkney Furniture Maker, in April of 2007.

One thing that differentiates this craft from furniture making as a whole is its distinct place in the lives of Orcadians (residents of Orkney), something which leads Kevin to approach his work with a care and respect for it’s historical influence and personal significance to islanders.

“As the Orkney Chair is such an iconic piece of furniture from my island home, it is important to be respectful of those who have gone before me and made the chair what it is today. It's a chair design that tells the story of Orkney and those who live and have lived here and the times that they lived in. Hopefully our work tells the story of the Orkney that we live in today.”

Another thing that makes Orkney Chair Making unique is how it has been shaped by the resources available on the island. As an island with a lack of indigenous trees, Orkney chairs were formed mainly from straw, using the leftover straw from the black oats grown to feed livestock, and sometimes reclaimed wood or driftwood. In the early days it was made entirely from straw. The oat straw used for the chair backs is harvested traditionally with a scythe or binder and the straw is woven to form the back and base of the chair.

Kevin is connected to the full creative production process, which for him even involves growing some of the raw materials he then makes the chairs from.

“Growing our own oat straw gives a greater connection to the work that we make. When I was young, both sets of my grandparents had farms. I grew up spending a lot of time helping out on their farms. Looking back, it taught me a lot about working hard to make things work. Growing oat straw and spending time outside, reminds me a lot of my youth. It's great just to spend time outside and grow and harvest straw using traditional techniques and the challenges that come with it.

The Orkney Chair is a product shaped by its environment in other ways  - evolving from a simple stool to the addition of its clever and distinctive ‘hoods’, added to the chairs to keep out the harsh winter draughts.

Kevin recognises how the craft has evolved and the importance of balancing the traditional processes with his own artistic intentions.

“The two sit very well together. It's an honour to make these iconic chairs and use the skills and techniques for making them in new ways. The Orkney Chair has slowly had to adapt and change since it was first made and our work is a continuation of this while being considerate of its origins and importance to Orkney.”

With only four registered craftspeople still dedicated to the craft, it is currently classed as ‘endangered’ but craftsperson and Orkney Chair Maker Kevin Gaud remains positive about the craft’s future.

“Although it is classed as endangered, the craft feels like it is in a safe place. We are one of three businesses on Orkney that are making a living from making Orkney Chairs but there are several hobby makers as well.”

Encouraging younger people into the craft is one of the challenges.

“When I advertise to recruit more team members for our workshop, the majority of those that apply are thirty years old, or older. Maybe people only appreciate craft at a certain time in their life.”

Kevin remembers starting the craft at sixteen years old where to him, it still seemed like an ‘old man’ craft.

“Perhaps this is because all the images that I had grown up with that depicted the craft, were images of old men making chairs and cleaning straw.  I have tried to show that it can be a young persons craft, it is a rewarding career that I get so much job satisfaction and joy from.”

Part of this joy comes from working with returning clients and bringing their personal projects to life.

“Living in a small community, we have built up lots of friendships with returning clients. Some of the special commissions that we have made range from receiving trees that have been felled in the client’s garden, and turning them into a pieces of furniture from their home. These pieces give our clients a really strong connection with their piece of furniture. 

Restoring old Orkney Chairs is a constant part of our work schedule and most of the chairs arrive with a story about how the person who owns it, came to have the chair. Sometimes they know exactly when and where their chair was made and where the materials for it came from.”

Alongside designing and making more traditional Orkney Chair pieces, Kevin has used his wood work skills to take on some varied and complex commissions. He recalls winning a design competition to make a water sculpture for the opening ceremony of the International Island Games hosted in Orkney in 2025.

“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that came with a number of challenges, but thankfully it all went to plan and it received a great response. For the water bowl part of the sculpture, we stitched a straw basket and had it cast in bronze. All the competing islands take water from their island and pour it into the water bowl, at the opening ceremony.”

His fulfilling career means Kevin is kept busy with various collaborations and commissions, all whilst balancing the business with three children and a house extension.

“I never knew life could be so busy! I still try and set aside time every week for working on new designs. At the moment, I am working on a collaboration with an Orkney based ceramicist. We are working on something that is influenced from pottery that has been discovered at The Ness of Brodgar in Orkney." The Ness of Brodgar Project - Investigating a prehistoric complex in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney

You can see more of Kevin’s projects on his website and Instagram.