Specialist Vocational Training for Heritage Skills:
Practical, hands-on programmes in traditional building skills, creating clear pathways into employment while preserving the UK’s built heritage.
Working with partners, employers and communities, we deliver training that is structured, relevant and grounded in real-world projects.
We design and deliver vocational training that connects people, skills and place.
Skills Training
Structured training in traditional trades including stone masonry, joinery and conservation techniques.
Delivered through practical, site-based learning.
Community Projects
Pathways into employment through supported training with industry partners.
Focused on long-term skills development and progression.
Heritage Projects & Consultancy
Hands-on delivery and advisory work supporting the repair and conservation of historic buildings.
Grounded in best practice and technical expertise.
Programmes in Practice
We deliver community-based vocational training that equips people of all ages with practical, employable skills.
Our programmes combine hands-on learning with real heritage restoration projects, creating meaningful pathways into work while contributing to the preservation of historic buildings.
This approach supports:
Local employment and skills development
Stronger regional economies
Long-term conservation of cultural assets
We work with public bodies, charities and industry partners to deliver measurable social, educational and economic impact.
Alongside the physical craft skills, the programme also introduces wider knowledge around:
Sustainable approaches to heritage work
Project planning and delivery
Basic business and financial understanding
This creates a more rounded pathway into employment, combining technical ability with practical, real-world awareness.
The long-term aim is to develop a structured pre-apprenticeship route, with participants working towards a Level 5 SQA qualification while gaining meaningful, site-based experience.
The project also responds to two wider challenges:
A shortage of traditional craft skills
Limited local opportunities for young people in rural communities
By anchoring the training in a live restoration project with real cultural significance, the programme creates stronger engagement and a clearer sense of purpose.
Participants are not only involved in the physical restoration, but also in thinking about the boat’s future use, encouraging a sense of ownership and long-term responsibility.
“I’ve enjoyed learning how to carry out the repairs and doing it the same way the boatbuilders did.”
The Viking Project in the press
I. The Viking Project – Traditional Boat Building & Heritage Skills
A 120-year-old Stroma yole, built using techniques dating back to Viking-era boatbuilding, is at the centre of a hands-on training programme in Eyemouth.
Originally built in 1904, Bee was used to transport livestock across the Pentland Firth. After decades of use, abandonment and partial restoration, the boat is now being brought back to life once again – this time as a vehicle for skills training.
The project brings together young people from Eyemouth High School, including both current pupils and recent leavers, for regular workshop-based sessions where they are directly involved in the restoration of the vessel. Rather than learning in a classroom, participants work on the boat itself, gaining practical experience in traditional clinker planking techniques, repair methods and the use of specialist tools.
The programme is grounded in detailed local research. A feasibility study carried out in 2024 identified both:
Buildings in Eyemouth requiring repair and conservation
The specific skills gaps within the local workforce
This has allowed the training to be directly shaped by place-based need, rather than a generic curriculum.
The training model has been designed by elementscotland, drawing on extensive experience in both education and hands-on construction. It reflects a clear understanding of the local context, including high vacancy rates, limited access to services, and the importance of creating practical opportunities within the community.
By linking training directly to real buildings and real demand, the programme aims to:
Equip participants with employable, practical skills
Support the repair and reuse of historic buildings
Strengthen local capacity within the construction and heritage sectors
The pilot is supported through a combination of public and private funding, including the Scottish Borders Local Employability Partnership, the City Region Deal HCI Skills Gateway, and industry partners.
As a first-stage project, it is designed to test and refine a model that could be replicated in other rural areas facing similar challenges.
II. Building Traditional Skills – Eyemouth
A pilot training programme in Eyemouth is tackling two connected challenges in rural Scotland: the growing number of historic buildings in need of repair, and the shortage of skilled tradespeople able to carry out that work.
Delivered in partnership with the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust (SHBT), the programme provides structured, hands-on training in traditional construction skills, including stonemasonry and joinery.
Launched in January 2026, the pilot brings together up to fourteen trainees for a 20-week programme, combining practical site-based learning with guided instruction. Participants attend two days per week, developing the core skills needed to work on historic buildings in a real-world context.
Kevin McClure : Founder, Director, Teacher & Joiner
Elementscotland is led by a practitioner with a background that combines hands-on trade skills with over two decades of experience in education, leadership and community-based training.
With a BA (Hons) in Management and Leadership from Heriot-Watt University and a postgraduate qualification in Outdoor Education from Moray House, Kevin’s early career focused on delivering experiential learning programmes across the UK and internationally. This included working with corporate organisations, public-sector partners, and youth programmes, designing learning experiences that supported both individual development and effective teamwork.
Over time, this work evolved into a clear focus on community-led training. Kevin’s approach centres on connecting skills development to real places, real projects and the specific needs of local communities, rather than delivering generic training models.
Alongside his education work, Kevin has extensive practical experience as a joiner, bringing a grounded understanding of traditional building methods and site-based work. This combination of teaching and trade underpins the way elementscotland programmes are designed and delivered.
More recently, he has taken on senior leadership roles within place-based regeneration projects, helping to develop and deliver person-centred training models linked to the repair and reuse of historic buildings. This has included building partnerships with funders, local authorities, and community organisations, as well as shaping programmes that achieve both skills outcomes and broader social impact. He continues to grow this work through Elementscotland, focusing on creating replicable training models that support employment, strengthen communities, and contribute to the long-term sustainability of the historic built environment.
Kevin has also founded Lichen - an organisation working to support the mental health and wellbeing of those working in the emergency services
“Community-led training, rooted in place and purpose, has the potential to create lasting change – for individuals, for skills, and for the places they live.”
Work With Us
We work with businesses, public sector organisations and partners to deliver practical, place-based training that creates real outcomes.
If you’re looking to develop skills, deliver a project, or explore a wider partnership, get in touch and we can talk through what might work.
Training for Your Team
Looking to develop practical skills within your workforce?
We design and deliver vocational training tailored to the specific needs of your team, combining hands-on learning with real-world application.
Projects & Specialist Work
We work with contractors, heritage organisations and local authorities to support the repair, conservation and reuse of historic buildings, alongside delivering skills training on live projects.
Partnership & Funding
Interested in supporting or developing vocational training at a regional level?
We work with funding bodies and partners to design programmes that deliver measurable social, economic and community impact.