Previous letter-carving examples

This is a page of previous letter-carving examples. Here you will find hand-carved commissions, memorials, garden pieces and sculptures.

Below are previous letter-carving examples of my wood, stone and slate lettering. These are all hand-carved in the traditional manner with mallet and chisels.
Subjects can include standing stones or water features for the garden displaying poetry or sayings, headstones and memorials, memorials for pets and house names.

For further information on commissioning a headstone, memorial, house sign or other lettering project in wood, slate or stone – visit my Information page.

I’ve separated the examples into different galleries by subject.

Memorials & Headstones
Natural Burial Grounds
Carved Signs & House Names
Poetry & Quotations
Pet Memorials
Special Lettering Commissions
Other Lettercarving in Wood
Other Lettercarving in Stone

MEMORIALS & HEADSTONES
Tom Fleming
I was asked to carve a monolith memorial from local Clashach sandstone in memory of the late actor, Tom Fleming. Known as the “voice of the BBC” he was best known for his commentaries of state affairs such as royal weddings, the Cenotaph, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the opening of Scottish Parliament. The stone is situated outside his former holiday home on Speyside where his family originated from. On the reverse of the three sided memorial are the lines “if you would remember me – turn around and gaze upon my paradise” which Tom wrote himself and expressly requested would appear on the stone.

Hand-carved lettering memorial stone sandstone for actor Tom Fleming
Hand-carved lettering memorial stone sandstone for actor Tom Fleming
Hand-carved lettering memorial stone sandstone for actor Tom Fleming
Hand-carved lettering memorial stone sandstone for actor Tom Fleming
Hand-carved lettering memorial stone sandstone for actor Tom Fleming
Hand-carved lettering memorial stone sandstone for actor Tom Fleming
Hand-carved lettering memorial stone sandstone for actor Tom Fleming
Hand-carved lettering memorial stone sandstone for actor Tom Fleming

Jimmy Girvan
Jimmy Girvan was a Scottish Rally Driving Champion who was tragically killed while taking part in a rally in the forests of Aberfeldy to the memory of his late friend, Colin McRae. His family approached me to carve his headstone from Clashach Sandstone which now stands in the Tore graveyard on the Black Isle.

Hand-carved Clashach sandstone headstone memorial for Scottish rally champion Jimmy Girvan
Hand-carved Clashach sandstone headstone memorial for Scottish rally champion Jimmy Girvan
Hand-carved Clashach sandstone headstone memorial for Scottish rally champion Jimmy Girvan
Hand-carved Clashach sandstone headstone memorial for Scottish rally champion Jimmy Girvan
Hand-carved Clashach sandstone headstone memorial for Scottish rally champion Jimmy Girvan
Hand-carved Clashach sandstone headstone memorial for Scottish rally champion Jimmy Girvan

Minister’s Headstone, Bellie Churchyard, Fochabers

Minister's headstone. Hand-carved lettering in sandstone
Minister's headstone. Hand-carved lettering in sandstone
Minister's headstone. Hand-carved lettering in sandstone
Minister's headstone. Hand-carved lettering in sandstone
Minister's headstone. Hand-carved lettering in sandstone
Minister's headstone. Hand-carved lettering in sandstone
Minister's headstone. Hand-carved lettering in sandstone
Minister's headstone. Hand-carved lettering in sandstone

Memorial Bench, Speyside Way, Nethy Bridge

Hand-carved wooden Speyside Way Memorial Bench
Hand-carved wooden Speyside Way Memorial Bench
Hand-carved wooden Speyside Way Memorial Bench
Hand-carved wooden Speyside Way Memorial Bench
Hand-carved wooden Speyside Way Memorial Bench
Hand-carved wooden Speyside Way Memorial Bench

Doctor’s headstone, Kincraig, nr Loch Insch

Dr Grieve hand-carved rough mountain stone headstone
Dr Grieve hand-carved rough mountain stone headstone
Dr Grieve hand-carved rough mountain stone headstone

Rounded sandstone headstone, Skene, Aberdeenshire

Hand-carved sandstone headstone memorial
Hand-carved sandstone headstone memorial
Hand-carved sandstone headstone memorial
Hand-carved sandstone headstone memorial
Hand-carved sandstone headstone memorial

Chaplain’s Headstone, Gordounston School

Sandstone headstone for Gordounstoun School Chaplain
Sandstone headstone for Gordounstoun School Chaplain
Sandstone headstone for Gordounstoun School Chaplain
Sandstone headstone for Gordounstoun School Chaplain
Sandstone headstone for Gordounstoun School Chaplain

Caithness Stone memorial with silver moon-gazing hare, Cromarty Firth

Pictish stone memorial
Silver moon carving with Pictish keypattern
Moon-gazing hare memorial carving
Caithness stone memorial letter carving

Memorial Water Fountain, Stephen Cottage Hospital, Dufftown

Hand-carved memorial slate plaque
Hand-carved memorial slate plaque
Hand-carved memorial slate plaque
Hand-carved memorial slate plaque

NATURAL BURIAL GROUND
I have been appointed the official sculptor by Native Woodlands for the carving of memorial stones for their Natural Burial Grounds at Delliefure in Speyside and Cothiemuir Hill in Aberdeenshire. The memorial stones are generally about 12″ (30cm) square and are hand-carved onto locally found, natural stones. For more information about their natural burial grounds across the UK, visit their website here.

Hand-carved natural memorial stone
Hand-carved natural memorial stone
Hand-carved natural memorial stone
Hand-carved natural memorial stone
hand-carved lettering stone burial ground sign Delliefure
hand-carved lettering stone burial ground sign Delliefure
Hand-carved memorial stone
Hand-carved memorial stone gaelic mo grabh, my love
Hand-carved memorial stone
Memorial stone natural burial ground Delliefure

CARVED SIGNS & HOUSE NAMES
All my signs are hand-carved. I always try to design a house sign so that it is unique and often relevant to the property. They are available to commission in all types of stone, slate, wood, whisky barrels, barrel tops…

hand-carved lettering slate sign Welcome
hand-carved lettering stone house sign Weiroch
hand-carved lettering stone house sign Weiroch carving in progress
hand-carved lettering slate house sign Sunridge
hand-carved lettering and stag wood house sign Strachan
hand-carved lettering and stag wood house sign Strachan
hand-carved lettering wood house sign The Snug
hand-carved lettering slate house sign Silver Cottage
hand-carved lettering slate house sign Silver Cottage
hand-carved lettering sandstone house sign date and thistle
hand-carved lettering whisky barrel house sign post box
hand-carved lettering wood house sign Mountgreenan elm
hand-carved lettering wood house sign Mountgreenan elm
hand-carved lettering wood house sign Mountgreenan elm
hand-carved lettering Celtic slate house sign Mo Dhachaidh
hand-carved lettering Celtic slate house sign Mo Dhachaidh
hand-carved lettering sandstone house sign New Mearns
hand-carved lettering sandstone house sign New Mearns
hand-carved lettering whisky barrel clock pub sign Kilmarnock Arms
hand-carved lettering slate house sign The Old Granary
hand-carved lettering Celtic slate house sign Glenochty
hand-carved lettering Celtic slate house sign Glenochty
hand-carved lettering Celtic slate house sign Glenochty
hand-carved lettering barley slate house sign Gallow Howe
hand-carved lettering barley slate house sign Gallow Howe
hand-carved lettering slate house sign Forest Row
hand-carved lettering slate house sign Forest Hill
hand-carved lettering slate house sign Flooders Croft
hand-carved lettering slate house sign Flooders Croft
hand-carved lettering stone house sign Eadgyth House
hand-carved lettering stone house sign Eadgyth House
hand-carved lettering stone burial ground sign Delliefure
hand-carved lettering stone burial ground sign Delliefure
hand-carved lettering whisky barrel house sign clock Cragganmore
hand-carved lettering whisky barrel house sign clock Cragganmore
hand-carved lettering wooden house sign Capercaillie Lodge
hand-carved lettering wooden house sign Capercaillie Lodge
hand-carved lettering stone house sign Ardgour
hand-carved lettering stone house sign Ardgour
Hand-carved family name Conti sign in wych elm
Hand-carved family name Conti sign in wych elm
Hand-carved lettering stone house sign
Cedar Lodge slate carved house sign
Cedar Lodge slate carved house sign

POETRY & QUOTATIONS

Hand-carved lettering stone Billy Connolly quote
Hand-carved lettering stone Billy Connolly quote
Hand-carved song lyrics on slate
Hand-carved song lyrics on slate
Hand-carved lettering slate Scottish Highlands poem
Hand-carved lettering slate Scottish Highlands poem
Hand-carved lettering slate Scottish Highlands poem
Hand-carved lettering slate Scottish Highlands poem
Hand-carved lettering slate Rudyard Kipling poem
Hand-carved lettering slate Rudyard Kipling poem
Hand-carved lettering slate Rudyard Kipling poem
Hand-carved lettering slate Rudyard Kipling poem
Hand-carved lettering slate What is this lifeif, full of care – we have no time to stand and stare
Hand-carved lettering slate What is this lifeif, full of care – we have no time to stand and stare
Hand-carved lettering slate WH Davies poem
Hand-carved lettering slate WH Davies poem
Hand-carved lettering stone Tam O'Shanter, Robert Burns
Hand-carved lettering stone Tam O'Shanter, Robert Burns
Hand-carved lettering stone Tam O'Shanter, Robert Burns
Hand-carved lettering on sycamore helicopter seed in elm, garden sculpture

PET MEMORIALS
A specially designed, hand-carved stone makes a fitting memorial to a family pet. These can include simply the name and dates or even a special design or carved likeness of your dog, cat or indeed any beloved animal.