We returned to Craighall Den in mid October to continue the wall begun in July.  On Saturday there were five members working alongside five Countryside Trust Volunteers with Calum instructing.

Nine members attended this year’s AGM at Luncarty Church Hall on Saturday 3rd November.

Having got over our initial disappointment that we weren’t going to be able to finish off the work on a retaining wall begun by Stuart McDonald and 8 apprentices on the Friday, there being no earth to fill in the bed and not enough stones for covers, we got started on a further section of the car park wall, lining up with the trainees’ section.

The second visit of the year to Cambo was the last of our Beginners Training Courses in Dry Stone Walling for 2018. 

Calum Williams, instructor for the event, led an enthusiastic group of nine trainees during a rather cold September weekend.

Our stall at the Rait games in 2016 was a great success with members of the public showing considerable interest in our work, so we were happy to return this year and asked Steve Donne if he could come along again with his miniature walls.

We’ve been to South Mains farm near Forfar twice this year continuing working on the long stretch of wall from the entrance.

It was lovely to return to Dunkeld to work on the boundary wall at Hamish and Ginny Carlton's.

Congratulations to Trish Waite and Gregor Smart of CSB for taking part in DSWA's 50th Anniversary Walling Competition

Fourteen members attended this event at Huntingtower Hotel to meet Ian Dewar again and honour his energy, breadth of vision and long commitment to dry stone walling.

August 18th and 19th saw the branch walling at Burmieston in Perthshire.  This coincided with a cooler and on day two wetter moments in our amazing summer.

Early in the year the branch was approached about becoming involved in an exciting new venture: Cairnbrae Eco-burial site near Kellas. This project is the vision of Alma Kettles, whose family farm nearby. 

GREAT NEWS: Central Scotland has won the DSWA Large Branch of the Year Award.

It was icers for Billy, John and Iain this weekend as they headed for RM Condor, the home of the 45 Commando Group, to carry out repairs to the whin stone wall within the Woodlands Garden.

With the snow behind us and the clocks ahead, Spring finally felt like it had arrived as we returned to The Japanese Gardens at Cowden Castle.

Just a short note to let you know that my Nomination to be a Trustee of the DSWA has been accepted and I will become a Trustee at the AGM in March 18.

Richard Love talks to Farming Today's Nancy Nicolson on Radio Four in 4, highlighting the worrying lack of skilled craftsmen and women, particularly in Scotland, able to meet the growing demand for building and maintaining dry stone walls. 

The end of the year was marked with the AGM which was held in Luncarty Church hall.  After a delicious soup, sandwich and cake lunch the group got down to business.

In our first post from the Historic Japanese Gardens at Cowden Castle we looked at the history of the gardens and our work to restore the original spillway's retaining wall. This time we've returned in October to tackle the large causeway which runs along the lake's East bank.