A Deeside craftsman has created a bespoke piece of furniture to house the historic trophies hundreds compete for annually at Aboyne Highland Games.
Aboyne-born furniture maker Lewis Lilburn has put 300 hours of dedication and efforts to handcraft a new trophy cabinet for the popular Aberdeenshire event.
With deep family connections to the Games, Mr Lillburn was commissioned to design and build the new cabinet, which is hoped to be cherished by future generations.
It provides another permanent link between the village and the annual August event, which attracts thousands of visitors from around the world every year.
Mr Lillburn, who is currently working as a self-employed carpenter and cabinet maker in Inverness-shire, hopes his creation will add another piece to the 154-year-old story of the event.
He said: “It was a privilege to be asked to create the trophy cabinet for Aboyne Highland Games, cementing my family’s connection with the event which stretches back decades.
“The cabinet is an imposing piece and has been constructed with mortise and tenon joints and intricate details, celebrating traditional cabinet making techniques.
“In Scotland we are very fortunate to have fantastic materials to work with and it was a pleasure to incorporate some of them into the cabinet.
“I’m grateful to several people for their support and guidance as I’ve brought the initial sketches to life.
“I hope that my ancestors would find it a fitting contribution to the story of the games.”
Celebration of Scottish tradition and culture
Made of Scottish oak, the trophy cabinet measures 4ft 3in wide and stands 7ft 10in tall.
The display case was constructed with traditional mortise and tenon joints throughout its frame, giving it great strength, and features a cornice topping.
Behind a pair of glazed doors, framed with coved edges, the cabinet’s interior has been designed to accommodate a number of different trophies that have been donated to Aboyne Highland Games over the decades.
The Gordon family tartan lines the interior in recognition of the event’s chieftain – the 13th Marquis of Huntly, Granville Gordon, and his family’s connection to the games.
To further celebrate Scottish culture and tradition, all of the materials were purchased from Scottish businesses – including McEwan of Inverness, Wm Blackhall in Tarland and the Cairngorm group.
Alistair Grant, chairman of Aboyne Highland Games, said: “Our new trophy cabinet is an impressive item of furniture which has been beautifully crafted by Lewis using traditional techniques and Scottish suppliers.
“The effort and attention to detail that he has put in to creating it is very evident.
“Using the Gordon tartan for the interior is lovely touch and recognises the role of our chieftain and his family.
“It is a splendid home for some of our historic trophies and will be an heirloom piece of furniture that future generations can enjoy.”
Following its cancellation for the second successive year, Aboyne Highland Games hosted a virtual celebration last month, which included online piping and fiddle competitions.
The traditional event is next scheduled to take place next year on Saturday, August 6.