External masonry

Edinburgh Sandstone

Edinburgh sandstone is the locally characteristic building stone used across much of the city, ranging in colour from warm buff and honey tones to red and grey.

Much of Edinburgh’s historic character comes from sandstone quarried locally and elsewhere in Scotland. It appears in tenements, Georgian townhouses, villas, boundary walls, steps and carved architectural details.

Sandstone is porous and performs best when it can absorb and release moisture. Hard cement repairs, impermeable coatings and unsuitable cleaning can trap moisture or damage the softer stone face.

Repair should respond to the particular stone, its exposure and condition. Work may include careful indent repairs, replacement stone, lime-mortar pointing and conservation of sound original masonry.

Property types

Commonly found in

Tenement Georgian Townhouse Victorian Villa Terraced House Traditional Cottage Georgian Flat Converted Flat Detached House Semi-detached House

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