The stonemasons crucial to the future of Scotland's historic buildings
More stonemasons needed to protect Scotland’s built heritage.
Little has changed in stonemasonry over thousands of years. And now, the skill is as crucial as ever given the need to protect Scotland’s decaying historic buildings and traditional homes.
This week, Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) Skills Training Centre in Elgin marked its 25th anniversary, with 150 stonemasonry apprentices learning there since 1999.
Apprentices at Elgin learn to dress stone by hand, following techniques honed over millennia – from the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians to Scotland’s own master masons, who started building Elgin Cathedral, which sits next door to the centre, in 1224.
Today, there are an estimated 300 trained stonemasons working in Scotland, and the need for more apprentices has “never been greater”, according to HES.
The heritage body plans to expand the centre to allow more apprentices to train simultaneously and give them space to work on multiple mock-up projects.
Graham Campbell, skills training development manager at HES, said: “As we celebrate 25 amazing years of the Elgin Skills Training Centre, we’re proud of the quality of the training, and the enthusiasm and dedication of our staff in passing on these traditional skills. This expansion reflects the growing need for skilled tradespeople across Scotland.
“Traditional skills are not only vital for preserving our historic buildings, they are essential for a sustainable future – creating green jobs, supporting local economies, and ensuring Scotland’s unique heritage is maintained.”
Around 20 per cent of homes in Scotland were built before 1919, and up to 80 per cent of structures that will still be in use by 2050 are already standing today.
Meanwhile, the acceleration of decay at some sites cared for by HES due to increased adverse weather conditions is a major, and hugely expensive, concern.
Apprentices are trained primarily with hand tools in both banker and fixer stonemasonry, the first which focuses on decorative work and the latter that specialises in installing stones on site, from boundary dykes to chimneys and doorways.
A total of 28 students are enrolled across the four-year programme. HES operates a second skills training centre in Stirling and, along with City of Glasgow College, are the only two providers of these courses in Scotland.
Sarah Tebbs is a second-year apprentice stonemason with HES, and is based at Arbroath Abbey. She was inspired to train in the skill after visiting Lincoln Cathedral as a child.
Her jobs this week have included fixing a window at the Abbot’s House at the abbey, with Brechin Roundtower, Edzell Castle and standing stones in the Angus area also within her remit.
She said: “Stone isn’t going to be there forever and when it gets unhealthy, it needs fixing.”
Ms Tebbs said the tools used today were very similar to those in the past, although her chisels are now made from tungsten and her mell, or mallet, from nylon.
Ms Tebbs added: “Here at Arbroath we have a very, very sugary, crumbly sandstone . I am pretty sure it comes from the cliffs here. You can put your hand over the surface of it and it comes away.
“I am currently sat looking at the abbey and you can just see where the stone is weathering away. It is quite incredible how it decays. Even the bits that are pointed correctly, the stone is weaker than the pointing.”
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