His ardour for woodlands and timber started as a teenage forester on a chilly hillside underneath the Rhinns of Kells.
Now John Paterson is returning to his Glenkens roots after a stellar profession with wooden merchandise manufacturing big Egger.
It’s fairly a narrative, how the farmer’s son from Barskeoch close to Dalry turned UK forestry and wooden buying supervisor with the Austrian firm.
And chatting to him over a espresso in a busy Citadel Douglas cafe, a sure joie de vivre shines via – which isn’t solely shocking on condition that he virtually died on the working desk three years in the past.
Now firmly on the street to restoration, John tells me about his newest mission – constructing a brand new oak-framed dwelling at Barskeoch, a stone’s throw from the home the place he grew up.
He’s transferring from Brampton in Cumbria the place he lives in a cruick barn, a conventional constructing with curving oak beams supporting the roof – a design he's replicating for his Glenkens residence.
“It was made in 1650 and remains to be functioning at the moment,” he says.
“Initially I wished to construct a tower home at Barskeoch however after my well being scare I scaled issues again though it’s nonetheless going to be a conventional home.
“I've my very own Wooden Mizer transportable sawmill on web site and use it to chop my very own stuff – I purchased many of the wooden from Knocknalling Property close by.
“From the location you'll be able to truly see the woodland the place among the timber getting used within the development comes from.
“The oak isn’t native although – it comes from France as a result of there’s not the standard and continuity of provide within the UK.”
There’s one thing of the well-known Welsh anthem Land of my Fathers about John’s return to his native Glenkens after so a few years.
“The positioning was a part of my dad James Paterson’s farm which was bought round 27 years in the past,” he says.
“I used to be born and introduced up at Barskeoch and am within the course of of buying Barskeoch Wooden subsequent to the home.
“They felled the oaks there in 1970 – they had been prepared for cropping.
“I used to be solely 9 on the time however I can nonetheless bear in mind the odor of that oak.
“Though I didn’t realise it on the time that odor should have planted an acorn in my thoughts about working with timber!”
Six years later, John remembers, got here the “light-bulb second” which decided his future profession.
“I used to be 15 after I picked up a ebook within the faculty library on a course in forestry and that was it – I used to be hooked.
“From that second I knew what I wished to do.”
John was one in all 4 Paterson weans together with George, Margaret and Katy, and chuckles when requested the names of his mother and father.
“They had been Jessie and James – it all the time tickles me that collectively they make the American outlaw,” he smiles.
“Each my mum and pa had been cremated and had no memorials.
“So at Barskeoch I had made just a little brass plaque which shall be devoted to them, together with an oak sapling.
“The Reverend David Bartholomew is coming to do the blessing.
“It will likely be his final piece of labor as a result of he's retiring.”
John says he's not non secular however feels a particular resonance from historic woodlands, whether or not in Scotland or elsewhere.
“I've been within the big redwood forests in California,” he tells me.
“It's a very particular place and being there was a really religious expertise and made me suppose how the First Nation folks revered these woods as one thing treasured.
“Then all these folks got here in and commenced to cut down their forests, the woods they'd solely utilized in a completely sustainable method.
“For the First Nation folks, the forest was a religious dwelling and centre.”
In his youth, John himself knew one thing of the outdated methods, of taking one thing from nature provided that it did no hurt or damage to the tree or plant.
“In spring, after I was round 14, I'd drill a wee gap in a birch tree and push in a wee plastic tube to make a spigot.
“Then I'd drain off some sap right into a bucket then hammer a wood peg into the outlet to heal the wound so the tree would get better.
“After that I put sultanas and yeast into the liquid which via the same old strategy of fermentation made birch sap wine.
“It was extremely wanted and I bought it to my faculty mates!”
Practically half a century later John can have a fruit orchard at his new dwelling, together with a vegetable backyard.
He stated: “I wish to get among the older species of apple native to Galloway, with redcurrant and blackcurrant bushes too.
“I'll have 5 acres of woods which have wild strawberries rising in them too.”
In his youth, John recounts, the 130-acre Barskeoch Farm had summer time grazing on the hill at Fred Olsen’s Forrest Property.
“I used to be not fascinated by livestock and by no means within the farm,” he smiles.
“I'd assist with the hay and reduce thistles – however the one time I received to drive the tractor was chopping oats with a binder.
“I've all the time believed that if you wish to do one thing then you definitely concentrate on it and do it.
“In order that summer time, 1976, I labored my holidays up on the property to see what working within the forest was like.
“I'd hand weed between younger bushes and do brashing – eradicating the decrease branches to provide higher entry and enhance the standard of the timber because it matures.
“We'd be picked up on the street finish at 7am and brought to our work in an extended wheel-based Land Rover.
“There have been 12 or 15 of us – and I used to be the one one who didn’t smoke.
“My mom would make my piece with bread and cheese and ham – and Shipman’s paste, which was horrible.
“I'd have two flasks of tea and within the winter it could be so chilly that I'd use one to heat my toes.
“It was robust work and lots of it was piece work.
“You had been paid per tree for each one you planted, by the acre if you happen to had been brashing and by the chain – that’s 22 yards – if you happen to had been draining.
“I labored for 3 summers up there till I used to be 17, Easter holidays as nicely.
“I loved it but it surely was brutal labour at instances though an amazing sense of camaraderie helped.
“Even within the coldest climate the boys might roll a cigarette with one hand.
“That by no means ceased to amaze me!”
John has many industrial energy anecdotes in regards to the wild males of the hills he knew – most of them unprintable – however one character sticks in his thoughts.
“Bob Watson was head forester on Forrest Property and a former Commando,” he remembers.
“He had been there because the forest was first planted in 1952 and was very decided, laborious and by no means to be messed with.
“One time one of many employees picked up a drainage shovel and went to hit Bob with it.
“Bob simply appeared him straight within the eye and stated ‘Ye higher make the primary yin a guid yin, son!’
“And that was the tip of that!”
These first stints of laborious labour, John explains, solely strengthened his resolve to comply with a profession in forestry.
And after gaining a clutch of O-grades and highers he returned to Forrest Property for 3 years full time as a forestry employee.
“I went to Newton Rigg School in Cumbria to check forestry for 3 years, with one 12 months being an industrial placement in Argyll,” he explains.
“I used to be primarily based at Lochgilphead and I liked it up there.
“I used to be kind of performing as a ganger and received on very well with the foresters and the pinnacle forester who preferred to develop youthful individuals.
“However I drank far an excessive amount of alcohol – truly stopped ingesting fully 27 years in the past.
“I used to be doing a Masters in Enterprise Administration (MBA) at college and I couldn't afford to check and have hangovers.
“I’m now fully teetotal and don’t miss alcohol in any respect.”
After finishing his ultimate 12 months at Newton Rigg with a coveted technical qualification in forestry administration, John had the passport he wanted to a profession.
“After I utilized for the course there have been 1,200 candidates – and out of these, 33 folks had been in my 12 months,” he tells me.
“So that you had been kind of assured a job after school.
“In 1984 I began with Tilhill Forestry in Carlisle and coated all of southern Scotland, supervising squads throughout draining, planting and harvesting operations.
“I additionally did some landscaping contract work.
“However my coronary heart was all the time in harvesting and in 1987 I noticed a harvesting supervisor’s job marketed with Egger.
“There have been a couple of in for it however I received it.
“It was primarily based in Perth and I spent a couple of years up there managing contracts for harvesting standing timber throughout Scotland.
“I used to be doing 80,000 miles a 12 months within the automotive so my carbon footprint should have been fairly huge!”
After securing his MBA sponsored by Egger, John tells me, in 1999 he was promoted to harvesting operations supervisor for Scotland and England and relocated to Cumbria.
In 2010 an additional promotion adopted, this time to UK forestry and wooden buying supervisor.
It was a high-powered job – and John has no concept whether or not that contributed to a near-fatal medical emergency in 2019.
“I had been in good well being however with out warning I had an aortic aneurysm which wanted rapid surgical procedure,” he remembers.
“There have been lots of problems and I used to be not anticipated to outlive.
“I used to be three and a half months in hospital and was not fascinated by studying or watching the telly.
“Folks stated you will need to have been bored out of your head however I wasn’t – it was simply my physique saying simply get higher.
“I used to be in an induced coma for 2 weeks and the sedatives used had been fairly robust.
“Your unconscious can play methods and after I began popping out of it, I used to be satisfied my surgeon was from Citadel Douglas – but it surely turned out he was from Tehran!
“I'd have horrible nightmares as nicely about how my life was underneath risk.” John provides with a wry smile.
“There’s two methods of dying – both hand over on life or have a lighter have a look at issues.
“So I positively suppose my sense of humour helped.”
As his journey again to full well being continues, John is aware of the debt he owes to the individuals who saved him.
“I've an absolute love for the NHS,” he says.
“It’s not till one thing like that occurred that you simply come to understand your appreciation for the NHS system.
“My restoration has been sluggish and regular and for now I’ve been instructed to keep away from rigorous train.”
With one foot again in Galloway, John is already contributing his experience to native initiatives.
“I’m on the Glenkens Motion Plan steering group and we now have some nice issues taking place.” he says.
“I see a vibrant neighborhood and 99 per cent of the modifications are constructive – the Catstrand is good.
“That’s why I've no time for the criticism ‘I don’t like incomers’.
“It’s so small-minded as a result of it doesn’t matter the place folks come from.
“If they're prepared to contribute then they're welcome as members of the neighborhood.”
As an instance the purpose, John chuckles at his personal combined family tree.
“In line with my DNA I’m half Scottish, half Irish and half Viking.
“So what I actually need to know is that if I've any declare on the Galloway Hoard?
“Possibly it was my ancestors who buried it!
“I solely want it had been saved in Galloway.”
Meantime, John is on monitor to complete his dwelling earlier than the winter.
Heading the mission, I be taught, is Frenchman Laurent Coterie of the Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France, a community of expert artisans courting again to the Center Ages.
“It took him eleven and a half years to be a grasp craftsman,” John says.
“A part of their code is that it's important to cross in your methods and never maintain it to themselves.
“He’s on web site and continuously advising the Scottish craftsmen on one of the simplest ways of doing one thing.
“I've by no means witnessed such a beautiful information switch.
“Transferring again to Galloway wasn’t an issue – you'll be able to work anyplace,” he provides.
“I’m public affairs supervisor now and don’t must be on web site, whether or not that’s’s Holyrood, Westminster or council workplaces.”