Sandstone quarry seeks to extend operating life
Sandstone from Locharbriggs has been used on many buildings in Glasgow and Edinburgh
At a glance
Plans have been lodged to extend the life of a south of Scotland quarry
There are currently supplies to last about three years but they hope to extend it for a further 15
Sandstone from the area has been used on buildings in the region and further afield for many years
- Published
A bid is being made to extend the operating life of a sandstone quarry in southern Scotland.
Operators Marshalls Stancliffe Stone say there are supplies currently available at their Locharbriggs site for another three years.
However, they hope to run it for a further 15 by extending the area for extracting the stone.
A planning application for the proposals has been lodged with Dumfries and Galloway Council.
Sandstone from the Dumfries area - particularly from the quarries at Locharbriggs - has been used widely as a building stone for many years.
At the peak of the industry in the late 1800s, nearly 200,000 tonnes of sandstone were being quarried every year.
It was used in the local area but large amounts went further afield with many late Victorian buildings in Glasgow and Edinburgh constructed with the south of Scotland stone.
Now an application has been lodged with the council which would allow a further 60,000 tonnes of sandstone to be extracted over a period of 15 years.
A planning statement said that would benefit the area's economy by guaranteeing future employment at the quarry.
Related topics
- Published12 January 2019
