Meet the team

Dr Janet Brennan

Chair

Janet lives in Barholm Castle, a 16th century tower house near Gatehouse of Fleet, which she and her husband restored from a ruin in 2004, using traditional building methods. She is an experienced non-executive charity director, having served on the boards of Historic Environment Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway College, The Crichton, and Dumfries and Galloway Chamber of Arts. She is a former chair of The Scottish Castles Association and is currently a board member of the National Trust for Scotland and Chair of the Galloway Members’ Group. She is the author of three books about Scottish castles. Before retiring, Janet was a psychology lecturer working in the Netherlands. 

Shaun Thomson

Team Leader

Shaun, our Team Leader, began his journey as an apprentice in Newcastle in 1982. He brings over 40 years of joinery and management experience to the team. In 1986, as a joiner specializing in heritage work, he worked on key projects including the restoration and upkeep of Castle Keep, Guild Hall, Blackfriars and City Wall in Newcastle. In 1991 he joined Tyne and Weir Fire and Rescue service and served for 25 years. In 1996 he was appointed Crew Manager. He has maintained a passion for joinery and continued this alongside Fire service duty. On his retirement from the Fire Service, Shaun turned again to the heritage construction. Shaun has been at the forefront of the project from its’ infancy with his desire to educate and coach others. In July 2023 his hard work was recognised with an invitation to Holyrood Palace to a garden party hosted by HM King Charles III.

Gail McGarva

Boatbuilding & Restoration Expert

Gail McGarva BEM, our traditional boatbuilding and boat restoration expert, trained at The Boat Building Academy in 2004-2005, building her first boat as a daughterboat to the oldest surviving Shetland boat of 1882.​ She launched the daughterboat called Georgie McDonald from Unst, the most northern isle of Britain, from the same slipway as the motherboat had been launched in 1882. Since the building of her first daughterboat, Gail has gone on to build several others, each with their own stories to tell. Gail is passionate about involving the community in the building of her boats, fostering a sense of belonging and a connection to the sea. In 2014, Gail was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to clinker boatbuilding and heritage crafts; in 2015 she was awarded the Lord Balfour Prize for exceptional achievement in craft.

Our team