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Carving a career as a stonemason
ALISTAIR CARVING
At the age of eighteen, a chance conversation in the corner bar of his parent’s hotel in Brechin was the start of Alistair Anderson’s career as a stonemason.
As a result of the conversation Alistair quit his job with an oil company and spent nine years working alongside the man in the pub, Gordon Hill.
‘Gordon really gave me a great apprenticeship in stonemasonry. I learnt all the basic skills from him and these gave me a great base from which to grow and develop. Some of my favourite structures we worked on were old churches and it was amazing to think you were following in the footsteps of master masons from hundreds of years ago.’
Alistair then moved on to Peterkin Homes based in Laurencekirk where projects included bespoke steading conversions, several of which won awards.
‘I really enjoyed working on steading conversions. Much of the work was complex and challenging. We had to recreate the techniques and methods used by the original masons; every mason had a different style and approach. On one occasion the Building Inspector couldn’t distinguish between our work and the original building because the matching was so accurate!’
Whilst at Peterkin, Alistair was nominated for Tradesman of the Year 2015 but was edged out by his brother, also a stonemason!
Alistair joined W M Donald in 2017 and created the architectural dykes on Stewart Milne’s Countesswells project:
‘When building traditional drystane dykes you work with the field gatherings. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle where you don’t have all the pieces. There is a lot of skill in creating a stable structure without mortar. The dykes at Countesswells have hidden mortar courses to increase strength and ensure the safety of residents.’
Three months ago, in his spare time, Alistair started a course on stone carving:
‘I have always had a very visual ‘brain’; I can clearly picture a completed structure or carving before I start. I really enjoy the carving. I’ve started with some Pictish stag carvings and I’m looking to attempt more detailed work as my skills
improve.’
Alistair believes stonemasonry is incredibly rewarding work:
‘The sense of satisfaction when you complete a project is huge. However, it’s a difficult skill to get your head around at first. You need patience and commitment to master
it.’
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