Drystone Wall Repair on a Historic Estate in Glen Isla, Angus, Scotland.

The drive through Glen Isla has far-reaching views over some of the most beautiful countryside in Scotland, and some pretty incredible walls too.

The walls we were repairing had been damaged badly in a storm. They were chunky and single-skinned which simply means that there isn’t the traditional two sides to the wall with hearting in between. Instead very large stones are carefully placed and pinned. It may look like a delicate balancing act, but because of the size of the stones and their placement, these walls are solid. It is an entirely different way of visualising and building a wall, and made a nice change for us.

Even though the stones look very random, an intricate puzzle, it’s important to create a clean, ‘top line’ so the walls still look neat and tidy. It’s also an excellent exercise in doing what you can with what you have, and nothing more. Most of these stones can’t even be shaped. For us, this is an important skill, and part of the very essence of drystone as a craft.