A BORTH craftsman has lent his creativity and skill to the latest development at a Scottish estate with a Royal link.

Peter Rayner, 31, was part of a Live Build project at Dumfries House estate in Ayrshire, which was saved for the nation 10 years ago by HRH The Prince Charles in order to be used to help people engage in learning experiences that promote confidence and personal development, as well as offer training in real-life skills to open up future employment opportunities.

Peter has already experienced life at Dumfries House, having been there last month to complete a Summer School, which, like the Live Build, is a programme run by The Prince’s Foundation for Building Community (PFBC).

This year, Summer School students have prepared plans for a new gatehouse at Culzean Castle, also in south-west Scotland, and, next week, Peter and his Live Build teammates will be responsible for the construction of the latest addition to Dumfries House estate, which is a series of pergolas designed to offer comfort and shelter to some of the 130,000 visitors who enjoy the grounds each year.

“I feel very proud and honoured to be part of the Live Build team,” said Peter, a self-employed carpenter who studied at Manchester Metropolitan University.

“I haven’t done so much work in heritage but I’m looking forward to helping construct the next development on Dumfries House estate.

“My grandfather was a carpenter and I have, for a long time, wanted to do something creative at work. At the Summer School, during the two weeks at Dumfries House, I really enjoyed learning traditional skills such as pargetting and timber-framing. The organisers and tutors were brilliant, and the setting of the estate is spectacular.”

In previous years, participants in the Summer School have designed structures that now take pride of place at Dumfries House estate, and those designs are brought to life in a Live Build programme.

Last year, Summer School students produced designs for many of the buildings on Valentin’s Education Farm, which was opened in June by The Prince.

The aim of the Summer School is to teach professionals, graduates, and the public how traditional and sustainable building crafts can be applied today in order to design, build and preserve sustainable communities.

See the full story in this week’s south edition