New research has revealed an opportunity to re-establish the Scottish building stone market to maintain the country’s historic buildings.

Import costs for over five million tonnes of building stone into the UK each year have doubled and it has prompted a call to relaunch quarries in Scotland.

A new report, conducted by the British Geological Survey and commissioned by Historic Environment Scotland, has highlighted the increasing opportunity to bring indigenous stone, including sandstone and flagstone, igneous and metamorphic rocks and roofing slate, back to the Scottish market.

Researchers found that the cost of imported stone construction materials has risen by up to 98 per cent since 2015, “possibly due to increasing fuel prices and shipping costs”, and that the Scottish and UK construction industry is increasingly vulnerable to erratic pricing and market volatility, due to an over-reliance on imported materials.

Detail of the stonework at Tantallon Castle, which was constructed from local red sandstoneDetail of the stonework at Tantallon Castle, which was constructed from local red sandstone (Image: HES) It was also found that 139 disused building stone quarries and 31 quarries that currently only supply crushed-stone aggregate may have the potential to supply a significant proportion of Scotland’s building stone needs.

Graham Briggs, materials project manager at HES, said: “The dwindling supply of local materials to protect fundamental parts of Scottish history is placing unique pressures on those who wish to maintain and protect our traditional and historic buildings.

“A renewed Scottish building stone market would not only create rural skilled jobs and reduce carbon emissions, but also improve conservation outcomes for our important historic buildings. With that in mind, indigenous stone suppliers are faced with increased pressures and costs that make them uncompetitive against cheaper imported materials.

“The report demonstrates that Scotland is more than capable of being self-sufficient about its building stone requirements going into the future; however, this will require investment and support through innovation in procurement.”

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Imogen Shaw, building stone scientist, BGS, said: “If Scotland wants to continue to build in its traditional stone, conserving heritage buildings and ensuring new builds are also in keeping with the historic landscape, then action needs to be taken to source more stone locally. 

“Our latest report is a vital resource for policymakers and potential investors, providing them with a clear snapshot of current supplies that will help them to identify opportunities for growth and better inform investment in indigenous building stone production.”

HES cares for more than 300 monuments and buildings of national importance across Scotland. It said that "Scotland’s built environment is intrinsically linked to the ground below it, created from diverse geology extracted from over 3700 quarries".