Partnership teaches traditional boat building skills

Traditional skills and craftmanship were the starting point for this partnership between Sgoil Lionacleit in Benbecula and the Grimsay Boatshed Trust in North Uist.

The Trust has developed a course, approved by the Scottish Qualifications Authority, in traditional boat building. Then a master craftsman from the Trust helped a group of pupils at the school to complete the two-year course, building their own wooden boat in the process.

As well as mastering carpentry and woodworking skills, the pupils have also gained a greater appreciation of their island's heritage through learning the Gaelic words for the tools they have used and understanding that they have learnt skills which have been valued for many hundreds of years.