11 miles down a single track road on the way to Elgol…

Celtic Jewellery
Written By David Macauley

Gareth Duncan may be off the beaten track but his craftsmanship and talent shine like a beacon on a dark night in the grande Isle of Skye.

You have to want to meet master craftsman Gareth Duncan, known for his Dirks and Sgian Dubh – the traditional Scottish single-edged knife worn by clansmen - tucked away in the wilds of Skye as he is.

He keeps alive a national Scottish artform known to a select few admirers of Scottish antique weapons and fine celtic jewellery. Duncan House is a shrine to all that is magnificent in this traditional craft.

I was permitted to briefly photograph Gareth at work on a bespoke commission – a dagger, cast from steel in his foundry and adorned with a native antler horn handle, inlayed with gold and silver and decorated with precious stones.

I photographed Gareth with my Fuji X-T5 and FUJINON XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR. The images were edited in DXO PhotoLab and graded with NIK Silver Efex.

Duncan House, Strathaird, Isle of Skye IV49 9AX
duncanhouse23@gmail.com

 
David Macauley

David has led organisations for Sir Richard Branson, Sir Christopher Evans, Sir Tom Farmer and managed pioneering bodies such as the UK Stem Cell Foundation, Virgin Health Bank and was appointed as Scotland’s first Drug Czar.

He has built and managed facilities as diverse as major hospitals and national biotechnology centres. He is an experienced strategist, senior government adviser, C-suite executive and committed entrepreneur. His passion is photography.

https://macauley.io
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