This Technical Advice Note, looks at the historic perspective of quarrying in Scotland. It covers the characteristics of the various stones and how they were extracted. It draws heavily on the British Geological Survey Photographic Archive to illustrate and typify behind the scenes activities during Scotland’s heyday of building in masonry during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The selected plates are from a wider collection of material held by the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh. Available for reference by practitioners, this information provides details of all quarrying activities in Scotland, and offers a central archive of geological maps, field surveyors notes, samples and thin sections. Its use by all those working in the field of stone building is to be encouraged.

In recent years a re-emergence of interest in stone as a quality building material has occurred. This is physically manifesting itself in a variety of new buildings, and in numerous hard landscaping schemes being completed throughout the country. The overall benefits in performance and cost-effectiveness are being increasingly recognised and, with it, the awareness of the need to preserve the different character that exists in our cities, towns. villages and individual buildings.

By offering an historic and practical view the TAN aims to provide practitioners, and those involved in education and training, with a greater insight into how the physical geological conditions determine the design, architectural character, and benefits, of using stone. It is one of a number of publications in the TAN series that sets out to present an increased understanding of Scotland’s traditional materials, their various working methods and building techniques.