Scotland has formed a Natural Stone Institute. It was inaugurated at Stirling Castle on 19 September, fulfilling one of the major objectives of the Scottish Stone Liaison Group (SSLG).

The SSLG was formed in 1995 and formally launched last year as an organisation limited by guarantee. One of its objectives was to establish an Institute that would help to ensure best practice in the use of natural stone for new build as well as conservation in Scotland.

The SSLG is also intended to be a short-term organisation, initially planned for three years, although it may go beyond that. The Institute may decide to take over some of ist functions at that point.

The SSLG say their vision for the Institute is of an organisation that will facilitate research and training, publish papers and act as an advice centre. It will also promote the built heritage to the public and champion the use of stone in new build.

The intention is for the Institute to have a base with salaried staff, computers, a library, workshop/laboratory and meeting rooms.

That takes money and the hat will be going round, although the Institute also hopes to establish a group of supporters willing to contribute to the creation of a dynamic institute. So far around 50 people have volunteered.

The SSLG tied the launch of the Institute in with a Stone Federation GB Stone in the City seminar. The combination and the venue attracted more than 100 people. The Great Hall of Stirling Castle has undergone an £8.5milliion overhaul to restore it to its original splendour in the past few years. The overhaul included £1.2million worth of new stonework and, controversially, a limeswash finish (see NSS July 2000).

The main speaker at the inauguration of the Institute was Prof Gordon Benson of Benson & Forsyth. His subject was another controversial Scottish building, the Museum of Scotland, with its lively Clashach rainscreen. He spoke about the planning and decision process behind the use of Clashach, a Scottish sandstone, for the extension (featured in NSS May 1999).

The meeting also heard how the Natural Stone Institute (NSI) had been developed by a SSLG project team over the past year. The meeting then considered the way forward and the development of the NSI\'s objectives.

A second meeting, expected to be attended by about 20 people, will be held this month (October) to progress the Institute. Alan McKinney, chief executive of the SSLG, is working for the Institute part-time and the ten people on the board of the Liaison Group are initially also the directors of the Institute.

The Stone in the City Seminar held in conjunction with the NSI launch took place just a day before the Stone in the City in York that started the Stone Federation\'s annual conference (see page 14).

At the Stone in the City in Scotland, Allan Bruce of Fyfe Glenrock, who quarry Scottish granite, spoke about the winning of stone, Peter Buchanan of Historic Scotland spoke about the restoration of the Great Hall in which the seminar was held and Neil McLeish of architects The Hugh Martin Partnership spoke about the use of stone in new build. Alex Stark, the convenor of the SFGB Scottish Section gave the welcoming address and Peter Harrison spoke about some of the technicalities of using stone. Ingval Maxwell, a director of Historic Scotland, presented the summing up.