From Rugged Land to Refined Design
By: Norse Stone
Found in the Northern Scottish Highlands, Caithness flagstone’s natural strength, durability and versatility reflects the changeable and rugged landscape it is extracted from. Traditionally, Caithness flagstone has been most famously used in large scale streetscape projects in towns and cities all over the world however, over the last 10 years, Norse Stone Ltd has been advocating the stones impressive natural properties and its alternative uses.
Whilst paving remains a popular Caithness product, its use is no longer limited to only lining public streets but also to enhancing both commercial and domestic settings as well. From a residential driveway in Edinburgh to surrounding a private poolside in Belgium, a designers show garden in Ireland to matching steps and terrace in a luxury five-star hotel in Switzerland, all of these projects have used Caithness flagstone paving in the formats, layouts and sizes that best reflected the individual projects.
In Northern Ireland, a large private courtyard and entrance was renovated using different sizes of Caithness paving, supplied by CED Stone Group. The project utilised a combination of 300, 400 and 500mm wide paving to cover the courtyard area. This was complemented with 100mm wide setts as a border as well as a drain feature. These materials were also used to create a matching raised platform for the main house entrance and all of which were supplied in a mixed colour palette of both grey and weathered stones.
Meanwhile, a residential garden near Glasgow transformed its outdoor space into a private terrace with sunken firepit. B7 Limited used grey 400mm wide domestic Caithness paving to define the raised terrace complete with glass balustrade to provide uninterrupted views over the garden. Use of both the flagstone and glass continued into the modern fire pit area. Here, Caithness flagstone was used not only as paving but also as steps that lead down to it, bench tops for the surrounding seating and coping for both the raised wall and the fire pit itself.
Caithness flagstone paving isn’t restricted to being used in new spaces, it can also be used where a more sympathetic approach is required including where the harsh lines of new structures need to be softened to reflect the natural landscape surrounding it. One such project created the illusion of the new building being part of the ground it stood on using Caithness paving leading to large hand dressed Caithness steps which were carefully built into the hillside.
Alternatively, sensitive restorations can also benefit from Caithness flagstone. Eilean Donan Castle, near the Isle of Skye, has extensively used Caithness stone including paving in the castle courtyards as well as traditional diminished roof slates on its towers and buildings. Over the years, new visitor attractions were required which, whilst allowing for modern design, had to remain connected and sensitive to the castle. With this in mind, large format mixed coloured Caithness paving and roof tiles were created for the visitor centre whilst Caithness crazy paving, sills and worktops were installed in the nearby holiday apartments. All areas used different Caithness paving and complementing products suitable to that specific environment however were also all carefully considered and used to connect the different areas together and, ultimately, back to Eilean Donan itself.
We are proud to feature and promote in architecture vogue magazine – Norse Stone Ltd | Caithness Flagstone, The Highlands
