Back on site 8:00am today for a full day of stonework. Some sweeping away of the overnight rain has the foundation ready for the stones. The base layers of pentagonal pad stones arrive in the morning to everyone’s delight.

The stones are each very carefully moved near their locations that were marked out in the foundation.

They already begin to make for a nice seat especially for Calvin, one of the apprentices from Jamaica who has never been in such cold temperatures before.

A lengthy process of adjusting and checking each stone’s placement commences, to assure its accuracy to the designed dimension so that the timber frame will be able fit into place when it arrives.

Once they are in place the very fancy beeping laser level (not a historically traditional tool) is brought out to check the level of each, as varying levels of the foundation are discovered. We then identify the highest stone and build up the others until they are all precisely level and in place.

John Addison, the structural engineer, visits the site to talk to each of the apprentices about the structure and things that they must keep in mind as the project continues. All were happy to see John, as last time we saw him he was playing his mandolin for us to learn how to ceilidh, a traditional Scottish dance.

By the end of Day Two, the pad stones are all set in place and ready for the rubble walls to begin tomorrow.