Certificate of Merit under the Pinnacle Awards Scheme

In 2023, the Teasses Doocot at Teasses Estate, Fife, was recognised with a Certificate of Merit under the Pinnacle Awards Scheme from the Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain. It was the first award of its kind to be presented in Scotland for seventeen years.

Although my work today centres on contemporary sculpture for private collectors and estates, this project brought me directly back to where my understanding of stone first began. I grew up repairing drystone walls on my family’s farm in Galloway. There, I learned that stone is governed by balance, weight and friction rather than mortar, and that judgement is everything. The Teasses Doocot allowed those early lessons to come full circle at architectural scale.

I led the design and build of the structure, working closely with Martin Tyler of Drystone Walling Perthshire, assisted by Finlay Reade and Stevie Gordon. Their craftsmanship and discipline on site were invaluable.

Commissioned by Sir Fraser and Lady Morrison to mark their Golden Wedding Anniversary, the Doocot was conceived as both sculptural object and functioning building, a permanent addition to the estate’s landscape. Built entirely in drystone, it rises to approximately 4.3 metres and was constructed using around forty tonnes of Alston stone. Each block was assessed, selected and placed by hand so that the structure would become self-supporting and enduring.

The structure was built with diminishing courses, the heavier and thicker stones laid at the base, gradually reducing in depth as they rise, allowing the weight of the masonry to settle and tighten as it ascends.

Architecturally, the front elevation is anchored by a semi-circular arched doorway, its voussoirs set with precision to a defined keystone. Three pop-holes sit above, and the Morrison coat of arms is built into the north-facing wall. The roof is finished in reclaimed Scottish slate with lead detailing. Designed to house up to fifty white doves, the structure is now part of the living fabric of the estate.

The Pinnacle Awards Scheme recognises excellence in craftsmanship, design and the inspirational use of stone across Great Britain. The Certificate of Merit sits within that national framework of awards, and to receive it for a project in Scotland after such a long interval was a significant honour.

For me, the Doocot stands at the intersection of sculpture and structure.

The same principles that guide my contemporary work, proportion, restraint and a deep respect for material, were tested here at a different scale. It made me reflect on where I’ve come from - returning to working with dry stone as a means of construction, removed from the sculpture I now create.

It remains one of the most personally meaningful projects I have undertaken.