Painted by hand: Ross Hastie at the Old Post Office
Sep 09, 2026
When we took on the Old Post Office in Garmouth, we knew the sign above the door needed to suit the building.
So we asked Ross Hastie, a traditional signwriter based in Alloa, to paint one for us by hand.
Ross has been learning the trade since he was 12. Before setting up Ross Hastie Signs, he travelled around the UK working with other signwriters, then spent three months doing the same in America.
That appealed to us.
There are much quicker ways to make a shop sign now.
But standing underneath this one, you can see where the brush has been. The letters have tiny differences between them because a person painted each one.
The same thinking comes up a lot when we make things at Bear&Wolf.
The process leaves something behind.
Ross also brought his apprentice with him to fit the sign.
A trade like traditional signwriting only survives if people keep doing it and somebody learns what comes next.
The finished sign now sits above the door of the Old Post Office.
Painted in Alloa. Fitted in Garmouth.
We couldn’t have asked for better.
See more work from Ross Hastie Signs →
