Building Stones of Edinburgh

Andrew McMillan, BSc 1974

Building Stones of Edinburgh (2nd edition, 1999) (Edinburgh: Edinburgh Geological Society) Following the success of the first edition (1987) which attracted acclaim from architects, conservationists, stone consultants and geologists, this fully illustrated book was revised and up-dated in 1999.

Edinburgh, ‘Grey Athens of the North’, owes much of its fame to the quality of the sandstone from which most of its finest buildings were constructed. Building Stones of Edinburgh highlights the geological characteristics of sandstones from famous local quarries such as Craigleith and Hailes and contrasts these with materials available today from other parts of Scotland and northern England.

It addresses some of the key questions posed by today’s architects and building designers including: What are the physical and geological characteristics of Edinburgh's building stones? Where did the stones come from in the past? Where do they come from today? How were the stones extracted and prepared for use in the buildings? How have these buildings stood the test of time?

The authors are: Andrew A McMillan, BSc, CGeol, FGS, formerly Principal Geologist, British Geological Survey, Edinburgh Richard J Gillanders, formerly Records Officer, British Geological Survey, Edinburgh John A Fairhurst, BScTech, MS, CEng, MICE, formerly of Napier University, Edinburgh. All are Fellows of the Edinburgh Geological Society and have a long-standing interest in and enthusiasm for the use of natural stone in buildings.

ISBN: 0 904440 10 9