Drystone Walling in Balquhidder: A Meditative Lochside Bench for Dhanakosa Buddhist Retreat…

We recently had the privilege of working on a unique drystone walling project in Balquhidder, Perthshire, for the Dhanakosa Buddhist Retreat Centre. This peaceful location, nestled on the banks of Loch Voil, is surrounded by breathtaking Highland scenery and a profound sense of stillness — the ideal setting for reflection and remembrance.

The work involved building a retaining wall. In addition to holding back the earth, the wall has a second purpose: it will serve as a place for meditation  — offering a place to sit, reflect, and remember. Three through stones were set to protrude through the face of the wall, allowing for a solid piece of locally sourced oak to be laid across them (not yet installed). The oak itself came from a mature tree that was felled during Storm Arwen in 2021.

The finished wall merges seamlessly with the landscape, as if it has always belonged there. We’re grateful to the team at Dhanakosa for the considerable effort they put into securing planning approval, and it was a pleasure to work on a lochside project that happened to coincide with a summer heatwave.