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About
Valkyrie Craft is a small family business founded in 2005 by John Wilkinson, who has been building boats since 1997 and has worked with wood since the mid-1980s.
From a workshop perched on the hills overlooking Castlerock with views out to the Scottish islands, John builds boats and paddles to order, working directly with customers to establish their requirements and creating high quality handmade wooden canoes and paddles designed to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of paddling, along with attention to detail and appearance. John also runs courses on skin on frame boat building and paddle making.
Customers have ranged from schools and outdoor activity organisations to the National Trust and Portrush Coastal Zone Centre. The blockbuster HBO production Game of Thrones® even commissioned Valkyrie Craft to build the special Riverrun Lapstrake played by Gwendolin Christie in her role as Brienne of Tarth.
In the summer of 2014, John's son Hamish became the youngest person to paddle solo around the island of Ireland, navigating a West Greenland style kayak he named Selkie after the mythical sea creature.
Valkyrie was named Best Handmade Canoe Company in the UK in the 2016 AI Awards, recognising the timeless excellence of the unique wooden craft they create.
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- Valkyrie Craft Boatmakers
