Caithness Flagstone

BBS is delighted to announce their supply chain partnership agreement with A & D Sutherland. As owners of Spittal Quarry since 1966, A & D Sutherland have been the largest supplier of Caithness flagstone in the world, supplying many prestigious projects throughout Scotland and beyond.

Most recently, Caithness Stone from Spittal quarry - in varying shades - was supplied to the Cutty Sark project in Greenwich. This was in testament to the days when the great clipper ships used Caithness Stone as ballast, delivering it to the most far flung parts of the British Empire. There are records showing that as early as 1793, Caithness Stone was being exported all over the world. Indeed, the streets of Boston were not paved with Gold, as was commonly said, but with Caithness flagstone as a result of this busy trading route.

Looking to the future, BBS Granite Concepts will aim to re-establish some of these historical links and again ship this unique paving stone south of the border and well beyond. Caithness flagstone is one of the rarest paving stones in the world. Three hundred and seventy million years in the making, it is the result of layers of sediment laid down over time, the layers separated periodically by a layer of volcanic dust. This dust layer allows the stone to be split to precise bed thicknesses giving the stone its distinctive, unique riven finish. Caithness flagstone sits well in our range of indigenous products like Scottish Whinstone which is often used in conjunction, for kerbs and features.

If you have a project where you think this or any other of our materials may be appropriate, please contact us for technical help or advice on sales@bbsnaturalstone.com.