Dry Stone Dykers

I met Gordon and Dan rebuilding a wall with commanding views of Glasgow that had collapsed over time.

From the road it was clear that they were working on the wall. The piles of stone and 4×4 made that clear but it wasn’t until I got up close that I could tell they were dry stone dykers.

I suppose if you stand in a field long enough someone will come and ask what you are doing so they were only slightly surprised by my interest. They were happy enough to chat and be agreed to be photographed doing their work.

Gordon

Gordon Gray is a mountain of a man. His massive frame and hands move the stones with a grace.


Dan

Dan is concentrated and methodical in his work. Lifting and then pivoting the stones until they find a place for the next hundred years.

The are not like other workers. They park their cars in the middle of the sheep and do not wear hi-vis. They move in a slow methodical way, never rush and are always fully aware of their surroundings. The walls they build often take months so they become completely at ease in the landscape.


Tools of the Trade

The Dykers tell me that their carbine tipped chisels come from Sweden. They only country in the world to make them tough enough. Their tools might not be sophisticated or require calibration but they are highly specialised and you can’t just pick up a replacement at the local DIY store when something breaks. Apart from groves and wheel barrows. They at least are universal.


We have all driven past hundreds of miles to stone dykes.
Is what Gordon and Dan do a trade or a craft or even an art? Whatever the correct term is the results are beautiful and an under appreciated part of our culture and heritage.