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Day 2 of our weekend Introduction to Drystone Walling Training Course and the weather was not as fair as it was yesterday, however, our hard core of trainees cared not a jot. 'Bring on the masseeeeeve throughs and mighty copes ', they were heard to cry in unison after the morning briefing 😊
Yeah, some showers throughout the day, however, we had finished and cleared off from the site afore the later deluge arrived, phew 😅
Yup, the 18 peeps who attended, some having travelled a fair distance, Aberdeenshire, Arran, Glasgow and Edinburgh ,to enjoy playing with the Auchenfoyle whinstone, should be very proud of themselves for the wall that they transformed 💪💪💪👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Today was our second ,two day Introduction to Drystone Walling Training Course of our 2026 at Auchenfoyle, near Kilmacolm, and the weather was set fair, hurrahhhhhhh 😁
A group of 18 were in attendance today, champing at the bit to get stuck in to the large unforgiving whinstone .
After an introduction into what the principles were of the 'craft', we then began the strip out.
We had two sections of wall to work on today, one being the access gap used on the March 'course build , the other work site was the section that was the intended to be the March site,however, due to flooding ,it was deemed insafe to work on.
Today we had no such safety concerns, the ground was so dry that participants were able to park their vehicles in the we were working in, a first for our training courses.
Anyhoo,after about two hours the strip outs were almost complete, so it was an ideal time for a short break.
A grand day's work all the part being very receptive to instructions given during the build.
Day 1 concluded with more or less attaining throughstone height, so very well done all. They most certainly won't take much rocking tonight...😴

Well, enjoyable and satisfying builds must come to an end at some point, and today we said goodbye to the Auchengillan Outdoor Centre
A couple of hours work today found us finishing the memorial cairn to mark 100 years of the centre's existence ,having been opened by the founder of the Scout's movement Robert Baden-Powell in 1926.
There's lots happening at Auchengillan throughout the year to celebrate it's centenary and we'd like to think that we played a small part in it's celebrations, aye, here's to the next hundred years.😊
Don't worry yourselves regarding the protruding centre pole, it will be cut down once the 'centre decides what type of stone they wish cut to form
the cap stone, an inscribed plate will also be added to the cobble blocks that feature on the build.
The End 😁

Our community project this weekend was at Auchengillan Outdoor Centre near Blanefield which is used by the Scout movement.
Auchengillan was opened in 1926 by the founder of the Scout movement Robert Baden-Powell .
The centre is currently celebrating a century of outdoor adventure and looking ahead to the next 100 years of outdoor experiences.

Auchengillan 100 | Auchengillan Outdoor Centre share.google/ip2Mx4BgfP8TKE51r

To mark this event, we were requested to build a memorial cairn on one of the highest points of the facility.
Paddle stone was the 'building material' of choice for the cairn, a first for a few of those present who were engaged on the build.
Great progress made today , with perhaps half a shift's work required tomorrow to complete the task.

A braw day at yesterday's Kilmacolm & Port Glasgow 191st Annual Show giving members of the public a demonstration of our craft.
There was a bulge on length of wall caused by a sloping stone aswell as poor hearting .
The offending section was stripped down and rebuilt. This also gave us an opporchancity to use our 'cargo net' to lift the mighty copes back on to the rebuilt section of wall.
Yes, as we pointed out to the public, there is more than one way to lift 'heavy stones'.
There was also a steady stream of enquiries at our 'stand' with members of the public perusing folders displaying our work.
Many enquiries were also made re our weekend training courses.
Yes, overall, a very braw day indeed 😊

That's us all set up at The Kilmacolm Show and the weather is set fair.
Pop along, loads to see and do for the family, come and say hello and find out more about our 'craft'

Our walling team were again contacted earlier this year by staff at Dumfries House's Rural Skills Training Centre asking if it would possible to arrange an Introduction to Drystone Walling Training Course for some of their agricultural students.
The students were on an 7 week Introduction to Farming and Rural Skills Course, being held at Home Farm which is run by The King's Foundation.
During the course the students receive training covering a wide range of practical rural skills from sheep and cattle care, feeding, housing and handling of cattle, as well as fencing and dry-stone walling.
Anyhoo, the walling ......for the last two days ,we gave 5 students, and a couple of staff members who were on Week 7 of their course, an introduction to drystone walling.
Gabion stone was again the stone on offer, so gnarly and small, however, as you know you have play with the cards your dealt.
All the students were very keen, with one or two having a very good eye for the right stone 😉
Into the bargain, the weather was excellent for the two days 😀
There might only have been 5 students, however, they can be very proud of the curved section of wall they completed.
The wall will be continued on future courses and possibly on community event day in the future.
Yup, very well done to ALL involved 👏👏💪👌

Day 2 of our first Introduction to Drystone Walling Training Courses of 2026 and .....it rained ,and rained, and rained, and rained and didnae stop raining....until we'd finished 😱🙈😂
Well if this team of 18, yup, they all turned, again, today, were classed as hard core yesterday due their collective keeness to get the build done, today they were a completely off the scale with their hard coreness 💪💪💪💪💪💪
Having finished yesterday at throughstone height, there was only a couple of courses to add to attain masseeve cope height.
During the introduction talk regarding Day 2, we put it to them ,that due to the horrendous weather and underfoot conditions , we could batter on through the conditions, forfeiting any breaks and get the build finished ? We didn't have to ask twice, we actually had to haud some of them back, such was their eagerness 😱
So ,batter on we did, and in a little over 2 hours, the build was complete.
An absolutely awesome effort by all, and you should be very chuffed with your completed drystone wall, yes you should.👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Well today was day one of our first Introduction to Drystone Walling Training Course of 2026, and we were all ready for it.
Eighteen booked in for the weekend, and eighteen turned up, what more can we ask for ?
A wee bit of preparation carried out on the build site first, cutting down reeds, removing barbed wire from the existing wall, yup, the comfort and safety of our attendees is paramount at all times.
Anyhoo, after an introduction as to what was about to occur ,and the method in which it was to occur, the team set off for the build site.
First things first, strip out the 20m section of wall that was to be rebuilt. This was carried out with gusto, and the short shower we had, assisted by a very strong wind, of rain, sleet, hailstones and snow, did not lesson their gustoness one jot.
We had here a hardcore of eager attendees for sure.
The strip out was completed in about an hour, when a very well earned tea break was taken.
After which the build commenced. Todays build progress extended to having the throughs in place and then building up to the height of the throughs, which was a fantastic effort by all involved 💪💪💪💪💪💪
Yeah,may I humbly suggest that none of them will require much rocking tonight 😴 💤 🛏
Day two ? Bring it on 💪💪💪💪💪

Well, only four sleeps 'til our first Introduction to Drystone Walling Training Course of 2026 at Auchenfoyle.
Remember that if you participated on any of our training courses in 2025, you would've received 12 months membership.
This entitles you to come along to any of our 'builds' during they 12 months and perhaps hone your skills or just refresh your memory as to the build process.
So, what 'you doing this weekend 🤔
Just give us a call should you plan to attend, it can be for the whole weekend, one day, part of a day or just a couple of hours,'you're shout.
(Some snaps attached from one of last years' courses.......no need to thank me 🤔😊)