TEN years since a royal estate in Scotland was saved for the nation by The Prince of Wales, a local craftsman has helped further its development.

Aaron Rowntree, from Selby, has been involved in building an educational farm, which will open to the public next month at Dumfries House estate, as part of a building course run by The Prince's Foundation for Building Community, a charity founded by The Prince of Wales.

He played a key role in the construction of the latest structural addition at the Ayrshire estate, which was saved for the nation by the prince in 2007. The estate is now used to help people engage in learning experiences that promote confidence and personal development, as well as offer training in real-life skills to open up future employment opportunities.

After enrolling on the Building Craft Apprenticeship course run by The Prince’s Foundation, Aaron, a former student of Brayton Technology College and Selby College, seized the opportunity to play a part in the development of the esteemed Ayrshire estate.

As part of the course, each apprentice takes part in a Live Build on the Dumfries House Estate, where they take on the challenge of building a structure from start to finish within ten weeks.

In the most recent Live Build, Aaron and his fellow students helped design and build animal shelters as part of the new educational farm and were given the chance to meet and speak to the prince.

Aaron said: “I enjoyed everything about our work at Dumfries House. I met a great group of people who are all willing to learn and was part of a great working environment. There was such a variety of things we were able to do and gain experience in, such as dry-stone walling, plastering, rendering, and roofing. It was a good chance to branch out and try different trades.

“Using these skills bodes well if you want to work in conservation, which I would. Everything I’ve learnt is crucial to this type of work. I like the idea of preserving our history and past culture.”