The Barnton Hotel Restoration Project

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The Restoration Project

The Barnton Hotel Restoration Project in Edinburgh brought an empty and abandoned hotel back to life. The building had been empty for years. Luckily, it was bought to be redeveloped  into residential flats and a care home before it fell into total decay.

Without a doubt, 2014 was going to be a very busy year for me.  Page/Park Architects in Glasgow along with CCG Scotland Ltd, the contactors, commissioned me to replace much of the exterior specialist joinery on the hotel building. Most of the detailed woodwork was beyond restoration or saving which meant I had a lot of work to do.

The Restoration Work

I made replacement finials and pendant finials in reclaimed Scots pine using original surviving joinery as templates. All were turned by hand in the workshop.  I used new red wood to make the decorative gable trusses and soffit posts, again copied from surviving originals. The exterior balustrading and handrails, however, I made from hardwood. A few of the original balusters survived and only needed simple restoration work.

The work for the Barnton Hotel restoration project I carried out in my workshop. I delivered it in stages and the contactors fitted all the joinery themselves on site.

We did some research too. The original colour for the paintwork came from a hand tinted postcard from 1905 which we found online. We used this colour for the final finish!

All exterior images above courtesy of Sylvia D’Arcy.

Pictish Carvings

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 Pictish carvings have always interested me…

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Crescent and V-rod

Pictish carvings have always interested me, so earlier this year I carved some Pictish symbols in the style of  pre-Christian Class 1 stone carvings. The designs of the carvings were simply hand carved, or incised into the wood, in this case Wych Elm, with an oak base. The stones themselves usually have pairs of symbols together, and Class 1 stones are possibly re-used earlier standing stones.

I carved each symbol onto individual pieces of wood, rather than have them in pairs, which was quite common.  I would like to explore the different styles of these carvings further. The later stones  included borders, patterns and figures, as well as the symbols.

The mystery of the Picts

Although the meanings of the carvings are unknown, they are one of the earliest symbols of a cultural identity found uniquely in Scotland.

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Carved stone at Aberlemno, showing three symbols

Pictavia near Brechin and the Groam Museum in Rosemarkie are two great places to see original Pictish carvings and designs.

Of coarse, stones can still be seen at their original locations, like Aberlemno in Angus. Here, there are symbol stones and a Christian cross with symbols and a battle scene.

I think they are great places to visit and see these unique Pictish carved symbols.

Bannockburn Commemoration Carving

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2014 is the 800th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, a significant event in Scottish history, which inspired my carving

Commemoration of Battle of Bannockburn, 800th anniversary, Robert the Bruce, 1314,

Statue of Robert the Bruce, at Bannockburn

I was interested to find out if any of my ancestors had played a part in the battle, or the Wars of Independence in general. I started some simple research into my surname, Fyffe, which I already knew to be a part of Clan MacDuff.

In medieval times the head of Clan MacDuff was also the Earl of Fife. He was of ancient Celtic lineage with noble rights and duties, one of which was the honour of crowning the King of Scotland.

Duncan (III) MacDuff, the 11th Earl of Fife, was one of William Wallaces four leaders at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298. He was killed in the battle.

Duncan (IV) , the 12th Earl of Fife, was still a minor in 1314 and a prisoner under the tutelage of Edward I of England. Therefore he took no part in the Battle of Bannockburn. His two brothers , however, fought on. His sister, Isabella, crowned Robert the Bruce King of Scotland.

In November 1314 the English released Duncan (IV) . He immediately affirmed his allegiance to King Robert the Bruce.  In 1320 Duncan (IV) was first in the list of signatories of the Declaration of Arbroath.  I also discovered that the shield of Clan MacDuff and the Earl of Fife was a red lion rampant, on a gold background, similar to the ‘Scottish Royal Standard’ but without the red lined border.

A personal commemoration – a carving

A plan was beginning to form in my mind as to how I could make  a personal commemoration of the Battle of Bannockburn.MacDuff, Bannockburn anniversary, oak, carved, ancestry, Lion Rampant, Scotland, 1314, shield, clan, Earls of Fife,

By chance we were driving from Perth to Dunfermline via Oakley, on the Balgonar road into Saline. I  visited Scottish Wood for materials for a project I was working on.  It was a clear sunny day. From the hill road we could see Stirling and the Wallace Monument in the distance.  I thought of the Men of Fife making their way to battle and remembered my plan.

MacDuff Shield in progress, oak,hand carved,

MacDuff Shield in progress

At the timber yard I bought some oak boards for various carving projects. The oak came from the surrounding area in Fife. Nearby was  the ruin of MacDuff Castle, burned down by Edward I in 1306.

I decided my carving was to be the shield of Clan MacDuff and the old Earls of Fife.  How perfect for it to be carved from oak sourced near to MacDuff Castle, in Fife, by a modern member of Clan MacDuff.  I hope the ancestors smile and look kindly on my efforts. They fought and died for Independence. We only have to vote for it.

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MacDuff Shield, in full colour.

Nature of Scotland Awards 2013

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After all the hard work of the many conservation project teams nominated for the trophies, the ceremony for the Nature of Scotland Awards 2013 finally took place. The winners were announced  on 30th October  at the Sheraton Hotel, Edinburgh.  My involvement had been to design and make the actual trophies.

The brief had been to use sustainably sourced local timber. I chose to use Scottish elm and sycamore. The trophy  recipients details were all engraved directly onto the wood bases. The titles of the  award categories and the sponsors names were also engraved. The wood was then given an oil and lacquer finish, which felt good to the touch and was durable.

The Nature of Scotland Awards Ceremony

We were invited to the presentation ceremony where we had a lovely evening. It was great to finally see and meet some of the nominees whose names were engraved on the trophies, together with the RSPB team and volunteers, who had commissioned my work.      A more detailed report on the event and winners can be found here.

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Nature of Scotland Awards 2013

 

A Cricket Ball

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 A recent Commission

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Laburnum Cricket Ball

A recent commission was a cricket ball and base, both decorative.  It involved both wood turning and carving. Turning for the shape of the ball and the base, and carving the detail on the ball – 6 rows of stitching!  It is a copy of a 1937 match ball. This one is turned from Laburnum although Oak or a fruitwood would also work well.  It was made for a private client but I have put the image into the Trophies Gallery as it could be an excellent trophy or award for a cricket team or individual player.

Replacement Spindles

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New Spindles in Victorian style

spindles, reclaimed, pitch-pine
Spindles, reclaimed pitch-pine

I hand turned these replacement spindles in reclaimed pitch pine to match an original Victorian pattern for a clients house extension.  The spindles are a good example of the type of architectural woodturning I often get asked to do. Once I have  finished turning them I parcel them up and send them out. The client can then complete another stage in their building  project.

I used very well seasoned pitch pine which was a perfect match for the original wood. The pine was reclaimed from 200 year old beams salvaged from a demolished mill in the Scottish Border town of Hawick. The client gave me an original spindle  to use as the template. Once I turned the spindles I gave them a thin coat of lacquer to seal them. It won’t take long before the colour blends nicely with the original staircase in the clients house.

I can also make replacement spindles like this in Scots pine, oak, Douglas fir, mahogany or another timber to suit the client.

See more examples in Newel Posts

Spindles can come in many different styles, from plain square shaped ones to ornate rope twist shapes. You can finish them with oil, lacquer or wax. All protect the wood.

Presentation gift

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Special presentation gift

The presentation gift of this bespoke Drum Table was made by the Regimental Sergeant Major and Warrant Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess, 1 Scots. to Lt. Col. B. Wrench of The Royal Scots Borderers on 4th July 2013.

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Presentation Drum Table

The Warrant Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess commissioned me to make the floor lamp. I had to make alterations to the side drum and fit the engraved glass “drumskin”. An unusual project and not as straight forward as it appears, as it was slightly oval. The LED light inside the drum illuminates the “skin”. It shows up the commemorative dedication and the badge of the Royal Scots Borderers on the engraved glass very well. I used an LED bulb as it would not create the same build up of heat as a more traditional bulb.

I fitted the drum shell on a base of Sapele wood, which raises it from the floor and allows the electric cable a bit of movement. A floor switch makes turning the lamp on and off very easy. There is more than enough room on the glass table top for a couple of drams. Cheers!

The Royal Scots Borderers Pipe band have taken part in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

See more presentation gift ideas in Trophies

New Trophy

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Presentation Chanter Stand

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This presentation chanter stand was recently commissioned as an award for a piper completing a pipe majors course. The main base was maple, with two hand turned and carved rosewood columns supporting the chanter. A brass plate was engraved and fitted before being presented.

I borrowed a chanter from a friend who plays the bagpipes so I could get the curves right. I also used the borrowed instrument  for the photo.

The completed base was given two coats of Danish oil and finished with a satin lacquer to keep it maintenance free.

See some examples of my other trophies here. They were all made for special presentations for achievement.

The design of a chanter stand can be tweaked to allow for more than one chanter, for example. If you prefer blackwood or ebony instead of rosewood to match your chanter then that could be arranged. I only buy exotic hardwoods in small amounts for specific projects, and always from Cites certified sources. So it is always from a sustainable source.

The base could be carved or engraved directly onto the wood. The base could also be a different wood – oak, ash or elm are other good alternatives. You choose.