We recently caught up with one of our newest team members, Brian Cranston, who recently joined our team in Scotland as Clerk of Works for our flagship scheme, Blindwells in East Lothian. Find out more about his new role at Hargreaves Land, what has been the highlight of his career so far and which famous reggae & pop act his band supported back in the 1980’s…

What attracted you to a career in the property sector?

I have always been fascinated with historic buildings and when I left school, I was fortunate to land an apprenticeship as a Mason/Bricklayer before rising through the trade to Clerk of Works. I have worked on some fascinating buildings such as Edinburgh Castle, Dalkeith Palace, owned by the Duke of Buccleuch, and Dalmeny House, owned by the Earl of Rosebery.

How long have you worked at Hargreaves Land and can you describe your role within the firm?

I recently joined Hargreaves Land at the end of March 2022 as Clerk of Works based at Blindwells. The role of Clerk of Works is to oversee the quality inspection of the works being carried out by I&H Brown, the main groundworks contractor installing the infrastructure on site, and to liaise with the various housing developers on the Blindwells project on behalf of Hargreaves Land.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I am a people person. I like meeting people from all walks of life and helping to resolve any issues that arise during my working day.

What projects are you currently working on?

At the moment I am based at Blindwells and visiting our Westfield project in Fife on a weekly basis.

What has been the highlight of your career? 

Overseeing the work on building the new football stand at Tynecastle Park on behalf of Heart of Midlothian Football Club. It was an honour and privilege to be part of the management team in charge of the build.

Name your top 3 albums

The Clash by The Clash,

Nobody’s Heroes by Stiff Little Fingers,

2 million Voices by The Angelic Upstarts.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself that people may not know

I played bass guitar in a punk rock band in my youth and we were lucky enough to play a one-off support slot to UB40 during their 1981 UK Tour at the Playhouse Theatre in Edinburgh.

When you’re not at work what do you like to do?

I am an avid Heart of Midlothian supporter, and I am part owner along with 8,500 other Hearts fans who own our football club, I also play golf when the time allows. I like attending live music events and travel around various countries to music festivals.