Made in Scotland

Ian Buxton looks at some of the best and brightest producers working in Scotland's traditional crafts.

Craft traditions have lived on in Scotland, and today they prosper in a vital and vibrant industry that responds to contemporary needs and concerns but with a traditional spin.

Take the building industry, for example.

Not where you thought this article would start, perhaps, but traditional dyking (dry stone walling) is an essential part of the look of the Scottish countryside. And, to maintain Scotland's fine built heritage of historic houses – from grand castles to humble crofts – it's vital that traditional crafts such as stone masonry, traditional joinery, lime pointing and rendering are kept alive.

Traditional heritage skills are at risk of dying out in the UK. Today, there are less than 40,000 craftsmen with the necessary specialist skills to maintain our historic environment, which includes more than half a million listed historic buildings. So good training is vital, and that's the job of the Scottish Traditional Skills Training Centre, based at Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire where a wide range of courses are available.

With a new generation of young craftsmen and women, well versed in traditional practices, the future of Scotland's historic buildings looks to be in good hands.

And skilled handiwork links all the craftbased industry we'll review here, not least the clothing and textile industry. What could be more traditional than Scottish dress – the kilt, sporran and sgian dubh that make up such a distinctive part of our national identity? Every part has it...

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• By : Ian Buxton
• In : Products
• Issue : 42
• Page : 42
• Words : 1,114