Penicuik yurt

THE YURT

Saturday 25^th August – Sunday September 9^th2007

Here erected on the slopes of the Pentland Hills on a showery afternoon 7 July 2007

Gordon Soane

August 2007

Nomadic tribes of the Near East and Central Asia from Turkey to Mongolia have for two thousand years lived in the Yurt or Ger (dwelling place). The yurt is traditionally covered with thick felt and is especially adapted to withstand severe cold and wind. The Yurt at Penicuik Arts Festival was put up by Paul Millard of Red Kite Yurts with helpers including Ian Edwards of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. It contains elm from the Botanic Garden’s Wych Elm project. Red Kite handcraft their yurts to the traditional Kyrgyz steam-bent construction style using Scottish oak, ash, elm, hazel, willow and sometimes maple, with a waterproof canvas skin sewn in Fife by Wilson Coverups.