We are delighted that the fist student who enrolled on our new one-month intermediate course earlier this year has now enrolled onto the professional course.

Eion Gibbs used his month with us to learn many woodworking skills and, among other projects, to design and make a hall table.

Eion learned his new skills while recuperating from pneumonia working as a film cameraman in Tanzania.

He’d been filming with the charitable Kilimanjaro Project and Trees 4 Kilimanjaro, which are highlighting the enormous environmental damage that is being done to Africa’s largest mountain, and the surrounding farmers who depend on the mountain’s melt waters.

Of the intermediate course, Eion says that “I hugely enjoyed the experience and Alan my tutor directed me clearly and succinctly.

“Every day I jumped out of bed eager to get back into the workshop, excited to get on with it, discovering a much greater passion for woodwork and furniture design than I thought I had.”

Our newly-introduced intermediate course is designed to bridge the gap between our one-week introductory course and nine-month professional course.

Eion hopes to set up in business in the Highlands around Inverness and sees a market for making wooden huts for “glamping tourists.”

We’re delighted that Eion has joined us and are certain he’ll enjoy his year with us!