Building Stones of Edinburgh

The sandstone Pillars at the West entrance of the Meadows Park showcase the variety of building stones used in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh is famous for its spectacular volcanic rocks that tower over the city in the form of seven peaks. However, as alluded to in the previous article, there are areas of sedimentary rocks amongst these lavas that have been exploited through the ages to build up this very beautiful Capital City.

Map showing the main localities discussed in the text

The Old Town

Edinburgh grew up around the prominent Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile (or High Street). Initially, building materials were locally sourced as transporting rocks was difficult and expensive. Some of the oldest parts of the castle, built in the early 1600s, are constructed of a very important local building stone: the Craigleith Sandstone. The Craigleith Quarry sits under the now Craigleith retail park. It is a good example of quarry re-development in the City. Evidence of the quarry can still be seen behind the Sainsbury’s Supermarket where the quarry wall can still be seen.

The tenements at the top of the Mound show the typical ‘rubble’ type construction using pink-red coloured Old Red Sandstone rocks.

The tenements that grew up around the castle provided accommodation for the city dwellers and were generally constructed of rubble blocks from nearby small quarries located across the city. A good example of such a building is at St James Court at the top of the Mound. Now housing The Wash Bar, this tenement was built 1723-27. It was build using well-laminated pink Upper Old Red Sandstone rubble blocks sourced from small quarries located where the Meadows, Bruntsfield and Craigmiller now sit. Many of the cobbles in the old town are composed of igneous rocks from the Salisbury Crag (see previous post).

The New Town

The construction of South Bridge (1785-88) and George IV Bridge (1829-34) allowed for the expansion of the City to the South, beginning with the George Square development. Similar expansion occurred to the north with the completion of the Mound in 1886 that connects the Old Town with the New Town boroughs of Edinburgh. St Andrew’s Church on George Street is one of the oldest buildings in the New Town (built 1985) and is constructed of Craigleith and Hailes local sandstones.

The view from Old Town to New Town. The Scott Monument (Doddington sandstone) is heavily blackened by soot.

At this time of rapid development, local building stones began to become scarce and a number different sandstones from quarries in Fife, North England and further afield began to be used. Such examples include the Binny sandstone, sourced from West and Mid Lothians and the Doddington Sandstone of Northumberland. Many iconic buildings are constructed from these Carboniferous sandstones including the National Gallery (The Mound), The Dome (George Street) and the Scott Monument (Princes Street). Although generally considered excellent building stones, these Carboniferous sands often contain small amounts of hydrocarbons that are thought to enhance its ability to ‘cling onto’ soot. As a result, many of these buildings in Edinburgh are heavily grimed.

Modern Edinburgh

With improving transport methods, builders were able to source building stones from further and further afield. The Lakeland Limited Building on George Street is a good example of this. Originally built to house the Edinburgh Life Insurance Co. in 1908-9. it is the only building in Edinburgh constructed of Portland Stone from Dorset. The Portland is a Jurassic limestone composed of fossilized bivalve shells. There is an additional unpolished granite base trim, likely sourced from Aberdeenshire. This building marks a move away from locally sourced building stones to those transported from further afield by canal or rail.

The entrance to the Scotsman Steps from Market Street.

In modern times, building stones can be source internationally, and many modern buildings show good examples of marble facades sourced from around the World. Walking across the East End of Princes Street, the Waverly Market (above Waverly Station) is faced with Portuguese granites with striking large white feldspars. Continuing to the south side of the station down Waverly Bridge and Market Street, The Scotsman Steps show a fine example of how international the building stone industry now is. Renovated in 2011, each step in the staircase is made from a different exotic rock from around the Globe.

‘Après Geology’

Touring the City Centre can be thirsty work. Luckily there are plenty of bars and restaurants en route to keep you 'hydrated'

1. The Jolly Judge, James Court: Constructed of Devonian Old Red Sandstone and hidden in the alleyways between the Mound at locality 1 and the Royal Mile, the Jolly Judge Bar is a great well kept Edinburgh Secret. Your efforts in finding it will be rewarded with a good ale!

2. The Dome, George Street: Constructed of Carboniferous Binny Sandstone, the Dome was built in 1847 as the head office of the Commercial Bank and gives a fine example of Graeco-Roman style pillars. Now it is one of the most beautiful bars in Edinburgh, a great place for a late lunch or an evening cocktail.

3. The Scotsman Hotel, North Bridge: At the top of the Scotsman Steps (Locality 3) stands the Scotsman hotel and Bar. Although it is a little more expensive than many of the surrounding bars, they make a great espresso martini! Constructed of Northumbrian Prudham sandstone in 1902, the marble pillar-filled bar and brasserie is full of history as the building spent over 100 years as the head office and printing press for the Scotsman Newspaper.

Happy Exploring!