NSI Field trip:
Caithness 2003

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The first field trip of the NSI was held from 23-25th May 2003. NSI members visited Caithness to examine the quarrying and use of Caithness flagstones. The NSI were guests of Highland Council.

Spittal quarries

Flagstone has been used as a building material in Caithness since the Neolithic. The flagstone industry in Caithness began exporting stone in the early years of the 19th century. Flagstone can be easily split from near horizontal beds without the need for blasting. Thicker slabs can be further split into smaller sheets and dressed to appropriate sizes. The NSI group visited two Caithness flagstone quarries at Spittal: belonging to A & D Sutherland and Caithness Stone Industries. Flagstone can be produced for many uses including paving, facing stone, roofing slate, fireplaces, table tops and work surfaces.

Caithness flagstones being extracted from a quarry at Spittal. Click on pic for a larger image
Caithness flagstones being extracted from a quarry at Spittal.

Flagstone beds in a quarry at Spittal. Click on pic for a larger image
Sub-horizontal flagstone beds in a quarry at Spittal.

Unfinished flagstones, newly extracted from the quarry. Click on pic for a larger image
Unfinished flagstones, newly extracted from the quarry.

Caithness flagstones. Click on pic for a larger image
Pallet loaded with Caithness flagstones.

Polishing flagstones with granite inlay. Click on pic for a larger image
Polishing flagstones with Kemnay granite inlay.

Occasionally, fossilised fish are found in the flagstones. Click on pic for a larger image
Occasionally, fossilised fish are found in the flagstones.

Traditional uses of Caithness flagstone

Flagstone has been used locally as a building material for thousands of years.

Flagstone building in Lybster, Caithness. Click on pic for a larger image
Lybster, Caithness. Flagstone has been used for the walls and, in thinly split pieces, as roofing slate.

Flagstone building in Lybster, Caithness. Click on pic for a larger image
Lybster Gallery, Lybster, Caithness. This building also uses flagstone for walls and roofing slate.

Flagstone roofing slate on a building in Lybster, Caithness. Click on pic for a larger image
Lybster, Caithness. Flagstone can be split into thin slabs for use as roofing slate.

Flagstone placed vertically in field boundary wall. Click on pic for a larger image
Flagstone has traditionally been used in vertical slabs to form field boundaries, as well as the more conventional dry stone dykes. This wall is at Castletown, Caithness.

Devonian House, Halkirk

This demonstration house, built by John Sutherland, illustrates the multiple uses of Caithness flagstones for internal and external features.

Devonian House. Click on pic for a larger image
Devonian House, Halkirk. The walls, roof, paving stones and garden wall are all Caithness Flagstone.

Detail of roof of Devonian House. Click on pic for a larger image
The roof of Devonian House is slated in Caithness Flagstone.

Garden wall of Devonian House. Click on pic for a larger image
The garden wall of Devonian House is made of Caithness Flagstone, laid in a traditional pattern without the use of mortar.

Detail of Devonian House. Click on pic for a larger image
More flagstone detail from Devonian House.

Kitchen in Devonian House. Click on pic for a larger image
Polished flagstones have been used in the kitchen for work surfaces.

Bathroom in Devonian House. Click on pic for a larger image
The bathroom tiles and bath surround are polished Caithness flagstone.

Entrance hall of Devonian House. Click on pic for a larger image
The floor of the entrance hall of Devonian House is made of flagstone and oak.

Shower room in Devonian House. Click on pic for a larger image
The floor, wall tiles and basin stand are Caithness flagstone. Two single, polished flagstones have been used for the walls of the shower cabinet.

Castlehill, Castletown

The NSI group was shown around Castlehill by Elizabeth Marshall (Caithness Area Development Manager) and Dorothy Maxwell (Principal Projects Officer, Planning & Development Service). Castlehill is the site where the first flagstone industry was established in the early 19th century. It was a flagstone 'factory' with quarry, workers houses, windmill, dam, sluices, water wheel, cutting yard and harbour. Castletown Heritage Society aims to develop a Flagstone Heritage Centre on this site.

Castlehill. Click on pic for a larger image
Castlehill - Part of proposed Flagstone Heritage Centre development.

Castlehill harbour. Click on pic for a larger image
Castlehill harbour. From here, flagstones were exported throughout the UK and to other parts of the world.

Castlehill harbour wall. Click on pic for a larger image

Castlehill harbour wall. The flagstones making up the external wall are oriented sub-vertically to resist damage during storms.

Visit to Lower Pulteneytown, Wick

We were shown around Lower Pulteneytown conservation area by Mick Broad (Townscape Heritage Initiative Project Manager). Lower Pulteneytown (on the south side of Wick River) and its harbour were created in the early 19th century by Thomas Telford on land owned by the British Fisheries Society. Large areas adjacent to the harbour were laid out for curing sheds. The area is currently being restored. More information can be found at www.Pulteneytown.org

NSI study group in Lower Pulteneytown. Click on pic for a larger image
NSI study group in Lower Pulteneytown.

Disused property in Lower Pulteneytown. Click on pic for a larger image
Disused property in Lower Pulteneytown, awaiting restoration.

Wick Harbour breakwater

The NSI group, lead by Elizabeth Marshall (Caithness Area Development Manager) examined the site of Thomas Stevenson's mid 19th century attempt to construct a breakwater in Wick Bay. Several attempts at construction were made between 1863 and 1873, but the breakwater was destroyed by storms and was never completed.

Remains of Wick breakwater. Click on pic for a larger image
Remains of Thomas Stevenson's Wick breakwater.

Remains of Wick breakwater. Click on pic for a larger image
Remains of Stevenson's Wick breakwater.

Camster Cairns

The earliest use of flagstone in Caithness was by Neolithic people. The NSI group visited Camster Cairns where we were given a guided tour by Nan Bethune (of Dunbeath Heritage Centre). The Camster Cairns are a Neolithic site with two chambered cairns - Camster Round, with one chamber and Camster Long, with two chambers.

View of Camster Round. Click on pic for a larger image
View of Camster Round.

View of Camster Long. Click on pic for a larger image
View of Camster Long.

Entrance to Camster Round. Click on pic for a larger image
Entrance to Camster Round.

View of Camster Long from its northern end. Click on pic for a larger image
View of Camster Long from its northern end.

Passage inside Camster Round. Click on pic for a larger image
It's a tight squeeze in the narrow passage entrance to the chamber in Camster Round.

Passage in Camster Long Cairn. Click on pic for a larger image
The passage entrance into the more northerly of the two chambers in Camster Long.

Passage in Camster Long Cairn. Click on pic for a larger image
The entrance passage to the southern chamber in Camster Long is relatively spacious!

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Last revision: 20th June 2003

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