Wood Carvings

Boreal winters can be a long drawn-out affair if one doesn't keep active physically and mentally. Woodcarving is an excellent way to fill in the time between blizzards and  the inevitable snow shovelling. As to subject matter, the good Scots advice is "Stick tae whit ye ken, an ye'll nae go wrang." In my case is Highland culture and landscape. 

For more examples of my see WOOD CARVING GALLERY    in the Library

2010 is the bicentennial of the publication of Sir Walter Scott's epic poem Lady of the Lake. As a contribution to the bicentaenial I have carve Lady of the Lake

 The carving of Rob Roy (Robert McGregor alias Robert Campbell of Inversnaid) with friends and detractors set in my native Glen Arklet, is my contribution to the bi-centennial of the publication of Sir Walter Scott's famous novel Rob Roy in 1817. For notes on the characters see Notes on Wood Carvings in the Library

Notes on Rob Roy Carving

This carving of my son Stirling is modelled on the famous Stirling Head woodcarvings that graced the ceiling of the Palace in Stirling Castle in the 1540's during the reign of  King James  V 

King Malcolm III (Canmore) King of Scots, King of Strathclyde, and Prince of Cumbria. Descended from Gróa of Hvammur, West Iceland. Deated and Killed MacBeth "I will not be afraid of death nor bane; till Birnam woods come tDunsinane"Shakespear, MacBeth Act V, Scene III. 

 This is a self portrait of sorts when I was a young forestry worker draning the wet hills of the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park in preparation for planting trees. The park was created on the coronation of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth !! (Ist of Scotland) and it was our job to make sure the forest was well-stocked with forest which has matured and is now being logged.

This is portrait of the well known and long-departed Trossachs shepherd Jimmy MacKerracher. Jimmy moolighted as barber using only sheers (and no comb). If you dare requested a certain cut his response was always "Och! Hud ye're tongue, laddie; ah can only dae a short, back-n-sides wi bits o' ye'r lugs left on."