The highlights
-learning ancient tanning methods practiced by our ancestors in Scotland
-producing your own beautifully tanned sheepskins and leather sporran or pouch
-relax in our wood fired sauna surrounded by Scottish mountains and fresh mountain air
-staying next to a Highland Loch surrounded by ancient woodland and beautiful mountains
-evenings around the campfire
-crafting tools from stone and other natural materials
-beautiful Scottish surroundings, including woodland hikes and ancient Scottish sites such as prehistoric stone carvings, the Falls of Acharn stone circle, iron age hill forts, Creag na Cailleach (the mountain of the Cailleach where stone axes were once mined) old copper sites and the Fortingall Yew (one of the oldest trees in Britain)
The course
During this 3 day tanning course, you will learn one of the main traditional ways of hide tanning practised in Scotland to create a beautiful traditional bark tanned sheepskin while taking time to craft, be in nature and become part of a community of craftspeople. At the end of this course, you will have practiced one of the main traditional types of leather making using natural materials and low-tech tools and techniques. During this course we will give an overview of the other tanning methods practised in Scotland by our ancestors.
This course can also be booked back to back with our 4 day Traditional buckskin tanning course (8th-11th) for a full week long immersed traditional skills experience in the Highlands from the 8th-14th of August 2022 for a discounted price.
The goal of this course is to learn traditional tanning methods, come together as a primitive skills community, take home your own beautifully finished hides and gain the skills and confidence to continue with hide tanning projects in the future.
This course is hosted by Peter Ananin from The Woodland Tannery
supported by Hamish Findlay Lamley from Pictavia Leather
Do you want to read and see more about your facilitators? Check the following links:
Peter Ananin, Woodland Tannery
www.woodlandtannery.co.uk Hamish Findlay Lamley, Pictavia Leather
https://www.pictavialeather.co.uk/aboutHide Camp
During the courses we will provide guidance, tools, knowledge, hides and an inspiring workshop space.
We would suggest that the tanning of 1 large hides is doable in the course time (these skills will be with you for a lifetime), if you wish to tan additional hides they can be sourced from us for an additional fee of £10 each, if requested prior to the course. Hide tanning can be an intensely physical process but we will aim to help each other as much as possible.
The main tanning method we will cover during the course is:
Bark tanning sheep skins
You will tan a sheep hide wool-on using a method inspired by traditional Scottish sheep tanning and Sami reindeer herder methods using bark such as birch, larch and oak. By rubbing in a bark solution using your hands and some simple stone and bone tools, you will create a warm material capable of being used both in and outdoors. It is also possible to impregnate it, for example with fats and oil, to make it water repellent. This meditative and joyful exercise produces a leather well suited for making blankets, hats, jackets, wrist warmers or just keeping it as a lovely sheepskin rug.
During the course you will take a locally sourced Scottish sheepskin through several stages much like our ancestors would have.
Leaving you with a beautiful sheepskin to take home and the knowledge to make many more...
Leather Sporrans or pouches
During this tanning course you will also have the opportunity to make a leather sporran or pouch.
Sporrans and pouches were an important item of clothing in the Highlands in order to carry a multitude of items including food, fire lighting tools or coins.
If you join us for the buckskin tanning course prior to this bark tanning course then you can integrate part of your buckskin into this sewing project.
This sewing project will be lead by the talented traditional Scottish leatherworker Hamish from Pictavia Leather
Course Summary
-group gathering at the start of each day to explain what the day will look like
-Crafting primitive tools from stone and other natural materials
-learning the process of cleaning and scraping hides
-discuss the many uses of the natural materials: to produce leather, medicine and as a way of preserving foods
-traditional Scottish bark tanning methods
-making your own beautiful tanned sheepskin which can be used to make clothing, bed rolls or kept as a rug
-making your own leather sporran or pouch
-an overview of sewing methods
-natural antibacterial remedies
-If the hides allow us we can take time to walk around the woodland, loch, in the mountains and to some of the ancient sites in the local area
-If necessary we will work on the hides during the evenings, otherwise you are free for personal wanders, coming together for stories, music and social time around the campfire.
Health
During the course we will primarily be based in our primitive camp but during our time we will be walking across the land, so a general level of fitness is recommended. We can cater for different levels of fitness and health but please let us know beforehand if you have any specific medical conditions.
Needs/Intention
To make this course personally fit your needs, we would like to have contact through Skype, phone or email prior to your arrival. We would like to hear what you would like to get out of the course so we can try to meet your needs as best as we possibly can. This process can be just as transformative for the hide as for the tanner.
Food
Please bring your own breakfasts, lunches and something to contribute to shared dinners such as vegetables , meat or wild foraged edibles. We can set up a group discussion prior to the course, if you wish, to organise group meals together.
Food can be sourced from a local farm at Tombreck and from Aberfeldy.
Please let us know of any dietary or allergy restrictions.
www.tombreck.co.ukAccommodation
During your stay you will be camping in our primitive camp, with camp fires, a traditional wall tent and other basic land facilities.
Please bring along a tent, tarp or shelter to sleep in, ideally something that blends into the environment, any questions feel free to get in touch.
What to bring
Clothing
Warm clothing such as woollen jumpers, walking boots and waterproof clothing, work clothes, gloves and an apron for working with the hides. Ideally natural mute colours/natural fibres where possible.
Sleeping gear
Headlamp, sleeping mat, sleeping bag/blankets and shelter/tent, ideally natural mute colours/natural fibres where possible.
Tools and cutlery
A good work knife for the tanning part of the course, folding saw, cutlery, bowl, plate, cooking pot, cup and water container.
Additional
If you have a musical instrument such as a guitar or drum then bring that along for evenings around the fire
Ethos
Our courses are set up around the ethos that working with our hands, being out in nature and working together as a community is good for our health and wellbeing. As a community coming together we ask that people show kindness, patience and respect to each other and the landscape.
In line with the ethos of our course, we try to encourage low impact living and creating a nice atmosphere.
We try to encourage zero waste, avoiding single use plastics and encourage natural mute colours/natural fibres where possible.
Giving us all a chance to detox from plastic although we realise we live in a modern world, where jackets and wellies can be helpful.
Location
This years course location is situated in a beautiful woodland on the banks of Loch Tay near Aberfeldy in the Highlands of Perth and Kinross, surrounded by scenic mountains and nature.
Arrival
5pm on the 11th of August 2022
Departure
5pm on the 14th of August 2022
Transport
The Woodland is within 2 hours of Glasgow, Inverness and Edinburgh by car. The nearest train station is at Pitlochry or Dunkeld just off the A9.
If you let us know how you are travelling we can try to organise car shares and pick ups.
Tuition & Registration
£300 for 3 days, with a £50 deposit to be paid with the reservation. This includes the camp site, the course, tanning tools and course materials. You can contact us for low income options.
If you wish to join us for both the 4 day buckskin tanning course (£400) and the 3 day bark tanning course (£300) we are offering a discount of £100 for the combined ticket for £600.
Contact
Do not hesitate to contact us with any of your questions, thoughts or ideas!
Peter Ananin
woodlandtannery@gmail.com 