There is no substitute for getting up close and personal with your building, to get an understanding of its materials and its current condition.

Anxiety makes homeowners vulnerable to bad advice and a damp problem is one of the biggest causes of distress to owners of traditional stone-built properties.

There are many unusual and evocative spaces that people rarely get an opportunity to experience. Hidden towers, labyrinths and dusty libraries. It is like some out of the Name of the Rose or the Da Vinci Code.

I bet few people will have heard of “PAS 2035”, but if you own a traditional property, quite soon you are going to be sick to death of it. There is an army of energy specialists, insulation companies and sales people getting ready to target you.

Clava Cairns. Sunset. The winter solstice.

Taking advantage of some sunny winter weather, we were able to get a first hand view of the sunset aligning with the narrow entrance passages to the cairns.

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There are many stages in a career. Graduating from college is only the first step. 25 years later and we are still adding to our range of skills and depth of understanding. This week we were down at the Scottish Lime Centre, in Fife, developing our expertise in the structural consolidation of traditional masonry.

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