Irwin's bridge
After visiting Callum Gray of Celtie Landscapes last week we drove over to the next village to see my friend and master craftsman Irwin Campbell.
We had a wonderful time catching up on walling news and hearing about his travels to Sardinia to study 'nuraghes' the broch-like structures there that were built 7 to 8 hundred years earlier than those in Scotland. While Irwin has slowed down a bit now he is still busy gardening and travelling.
He has built some incredible dry stone structures in his long life as a professional craftsman, as well as served for years as president of the central Scotland branch of the DSWA. My interest in dry stone bridges was kindled in part by one of his creations (above) that he took me to see when I visited him back in 2003.
This bridge was one that Norman (and others) helped
Irwin build at a garden show in Ingliston
We talked too about what's going on in North America and the possibility of his visiting next year to see what and how we are doing here in Canada as a new community of wallers. I plan to show him some of the charming dry stone features that demonstrate the degree of excellence achieved by certain individuals having procured more advanced levels of DSWA certification here.
