Natural stone has been a favoured building material since the early days of human habitation in Scotland, and is still in fashion for modern architecture. The Scottish building stone industry has bequeathed a rich and diverse legacy of stone-built structures which embody the historic fabric of our cities, dwellings, monuments, places of worship and infrastructure. However, proper maintenance of stone buildings and structures poses many challenges. Paul Everett will present a synopsis of Scotland’s history of building in stone, set against a geological background, and will demonstrate how geological knowledge and understanding is helping to maintain and conserve our country’s priceless stone-built heritage.

This lecture is part of the week-long Doors Open Days lecture series. Each day there are two lectures exploring different aspects of Edinburgh’s architectural heritage and global connections. On 28th and 29th September, 149 buildings across Edinburgh and East Lothian will be open to you to explore for free. Check out the programme on our website, or drop into your local library to pick up a physical copy.

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