EXPLORE YOUR BUILT HERITAGE
Part of Historic Environment Scotland
The Engine Shed - Logo Menu

Category: Vernacular and earth building

A row of lovely, well-kept traditional stone cottages with a flagstone roof
Materials

In search of Angus flagstone roofs: a rare and distinctive Scottish tradition

Thursday 23 July 2026

Flagstone roofs are rare in the UK, but in one area on the East Coast of Scotland flagstone has been used on roofs for over 500 years. We went on a mission to find out how many flagstone roofs are left in Angus and what the future might look for these precious pieces of local heritage.

A woven wood roundhouse with a large open doorway. There is a head-height stone wall running around the outside as if enclosing it, with other traditional buildings in the background.
Vernacular and earth building

Discover four key traditional building skills at the Scottish Crannog Centre’s Iron Age Village

Monday 10 June 2024

Before the relaunch of the Scottish Crannog Centre's Iron Age Village, we visited Loch Tay to meet our work party of Craft Fellows, who used traditional building skills alongside the centre’s staff to create the village.

Scaffolding up at a historic thatched building in the countryside
Vernacular and earth building

What can builders of the past teach us about sustainable building methods?

Monday 19 February 2024

At its core, vernacular building is about local knowledge and local materials. Our Vernacular Buildings Craft Fellow, Ross, shares his experience of working on vernacular buildings across Scotland and explains how they could help modern building practices become more sustainable.

A small, thatched roof hut in the countyside. The hut is made from earth and has a large, rectangular opening for a door.
Skills

Grassroots hutting: an architecture borrowed from the soil

Wednesday 24 January 2024

How can local materials and ancient skills help us with sustainable building practices for the modern age? That's a question we've explored on a recent project to construct a traditional turf hut near Comrie, Perthshire.

Freshly cut reed beds viewed from above, looking down directly on to a tightly packed series of reeds, looking like bunched straws.
Materials

Thatching Reed: supporting buildings and nature

Thursday 31 August 2023

We caught up with RSPB Tayside Reserves Warden Vicky Turnbull to find out more about the Tay reedbeds and how they support both nature and building conservation.

A white stone cottage with a corrugated iron roof, in a countryside setting with hills in the background
Materials

Binding with earth: what we know about earth mortars in Scotland

Monday 5 December 2022

Building with earth mortar is a tradition that's over 5,000 years old. So why do we know so little about this material, and how to use it, today? Traditional Skills and Materials Project Manager, Graham Briggs, is here to help you find out more.

Next Page »

Thank you

The Engine Shed is accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and National Open College Network (NOCN). The Engine Shed was supported by a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to share knowledge of traditional building materials, develop skills and raise standards in conservation for traditional buildings.

  • Heritage Lottery Fund

Information

Stay in touch

Connect with us

Part of Historic Environment Scotland

Historic Environment Scotland is the lead public body established to investigate, care for and promote Scotland’s historic environment.

© Historic Environment Scotland - Scottish Charity No. SC045925