Scotland’s building stones: over one thousand images now available online
New images of the BGS Building Stone Collection have been published.
06/07/2023 By BGS Press![Detail of a building in Thistle Court, Edinburgh, built around 1768 and one of the oldest buildings in the Edinburgh New Town. The stone is a mixture of locally derived material, with pale yellow-buff and pink sandstones and darker reddish-purple igneous rocks. BGS © UKRI.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/P530859_960px.jpg)
Throughout history, natural stone has been the material of choice for Scotland’s traditional and architecturally important buildings. The geological diversity of the country means the built heritage is unique and varied from place to place.
Since 1835, BGS geologists have been collecting samples from building stone quarries all over the country and, in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland, we have just completed a major effort to photograph them. We hold over one thousand samples in the BGS Building Stone Collection; the images have been published on the Building Stone Database for Scotland and GeoScenic websites.
![Carboniferous sandstone from Hailes Quarry, Edinburgh. The upper surface has been left in its natural state, showing the uneven bedding surface. Such samples were prepared by the quarry in order to market the stone. This sample dates from before the First World War. BGS © UKRI.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/P519533_640px.jpg)
Carboniferous sandstone from Hailes Quarry, Edinburgh. The upper surface has been left in its natural state, showing the uneven bedding surface. Such samples were prepared by the quarry in order to market the stone. This sample dates from before the First World War. BGS © UKRI.
The photos highlight the diversity of stone as a traditional building material in Scotland. Can you spot which stone your house, favourite building or local area is made from?
![Precambrian (Dalradian) roofing slate quarried from Easdale Island, Argyllshire. The slate is a typical dark grey colour with a strong ‘grain’ and contains pyrite crystals. This specimen was donated to the Geological Survey of Scotland sometime before 1916. For hundreds of years, slate was the preferred roofing material in Scotland. The geological variation found in slate quarries from across Scotland meant that each produced a characteristic slate, with a colour, texture and thickness varying from region to region. BGS © UKRI.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/P519560_640px.jpg)
Precambrian (Dalradian) roofing slate quarried from Easdale Island, Argyllshire. The slate is a typical dark grey colour with a strong ‘grain’ and contains pyrite crystals. This specimen was donated to the Geological Survey of Scotland sometime before 1916. For hundreds of years, slate was the preferred roofing material in Scotland. The geological variation found in slate quarries from across Scotland meant that each produced a characteristic slate, with a colour, texture and thickness varying from region to region. BGS © UKRI.
We hope the database will be a useful resource for anyone studying or working on stone buildings in Scotland. If you’re interested in learning more about the project, please contact the building stones database team (stonedatabase@bgs.ac.uk).
Timeline of Scottish building stones
3000 BCE
Skara Brae Neolithic village, Orkney, part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage Site.
![Skara Brae, Orkney. Photograph by Malcolm Morris. Accessed from Wikipedia.org; licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Skara_Brae_-_geograph.org_.uk_-_888338_640px.jpg)
600 CE
Dun Carloway broch, Isle of Lewis.
![Dun Carloway, Isle of Lewis. Photograph by Lewis MacDonald. Accessed from Wikipedia.org; released into public domain.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Dun_Carloway_640px-1.jpg)
1150
Castle Sween, Argyll, said to be the oldest stone castle in Scotland.
![Castle Sween, Argyll. BGS © UKRI.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Castle_Sween_640px-1.jpg)
1450
Linlithgow Palace, West Lothian, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots.
![Linlithgow Palace. Photograph by Victor Paul K. Accessed from Wikipedia.org; licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/St_Michaels_Linlithgow_640px-1.jpg)
1628
George Heriot’s Hospital (now George Heriot’s School), Old Town, Edinburgh.
![George Heriot’s School, Edinburgh. Photograph by Oliver-Bonjoch. Accessed from Wikipedia.org; licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Heriot_Hospital_court_640px-1.jpg)
1767
New Town, Edinburgh, built in stages between 1767 and around 1850.
![New Town, Edinburgh. BGS © UKRI.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/New_Town_Edinburgh-640px-1.jpg)
1900
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow, built from Locharbriggs red sandstone.
![Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow. Photograph by Lin Chang Chih. Accessed from Wikipedia.org; released into public domain.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Side_View_of_the_Kelvingrove_Art_Museum_640px-1.jpg)
2006
The National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, clad in golden Moray sandstone.
![National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. BGS © UKRI.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/National_Museum_640px-1.jpg)
Further information
- The Engine Shed: Scotland’s Building Conservation Centre @HESEngineShed
- @BGS_Collections
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