FEATURE


in demand to do this on farms and in gardens all over the area for much of his working life, and still traps moles today. At Kindrogan, with no television or other long winter nights were spent


entertainment,


working with wood, and making crooks using tups’ horns. Cameron’s skills as a craftsman were now coming to the fore and it was not long before this passion led him to start his own busi- ness making things. But fi rst he had to fi nd a base from which to work. The crumbling, historic Toll House on the side


of Loch Tay, under the brooding shadow of Ben Lawers, became available. Previously piled high with rotting hay and used purely as a temporary shelter for passing tinkers, it was also inhabited by hens and rats. Right on the roadside, where a constant stream of traffi c up and down the loch would bring many visitors, it seemed the perfect location. Cameron had the chance to acquire it and, after much hard work, gutted the place, and the shambles was turned into an immacu- late cottage with workshop and showroom. The tinkers were less impressed. ‘They used to call in and jokingly told me that I had spoilt it. One of them was a real character and he


passed with


‘Antlers had to be kept for a year to dry out before being used, but the cow’s horn needs very different treatment’


a Labrador-type dog sitting in a basket on the front of his bike.’ During the peak of his time working as the


‘Horn Carver of Lawers’ with his wife Martha, Cameron Thomson used over a ton of antlers every year. The antlers were acquired from stalk- ers in many of the local glens, but the best ones came from Crainanour, at Rannoch. ‘Aye, the stags there produce dark, tarry antlers with lovely white points, just right to suit my job,’ Cameron explains. In the small workshop adjacent to the house,


Clockwise from right: In the workshop; the perfect pair of antlers to work with once they are shed; one of Cameron’s carvings; pictured in his workshop.


Cameron Thomson’s incredible creativity took fl ight. He made a vast range of items from antlers, including lamps and light fi ttings, crooks and whistles. Pendants were intricately carved with all that symbolises Scotland, including the monarch of the glen, a leaping salmon, an eagle, a thistle. Using leather straps, little carved pieces were sewn on to make unusual bracelets. Much of the antler was used to make fi ne


steak and carving knives, the blanks (knife part) made of fi nest Sheffi eld steel. Using sheep and cow horn, other treasure was made. Antlers had to be kept for a year to dry out before being used,


64 WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164