The Scottish Traditional Building Forum organised a hugely successful traditional building skills demonstration in St Andrews Square Gardens, Edinburgh on 22 & 23 May 2017.

The event featured local apprentices demonstration traditional building skills including stonemasonry, slate roofing, joinery and painting and decorating.

The primary purpose of the event was to allow school children from Edinburgh and the surrounding areas to try the traditional building trades being demonstrated to help them in making their future career choices and encourage the next generation of tradepersons.

The event was also open to the public with several having a go at the trades and others asking for assistance and guidance on how to repair and maintain their homes.

We were very pleased to welcome Andy Wightman MSP, Alison Johnstone MSP, Jeremy Balfour MSP, Liam Kerr MSP and Gordon Lindhurst MSP who all joined in and had a go at the skills being demonstrated and spoke at length with the apprentices demonstrating the skills.

The event was another collaborative event through the Scottish Traditional Building Forum with input from Essential Edinburgh, Architecture & Design Scotland, Developing the Young Workforce, National Federation of Roofing Contractors, Edinburgh College, Stone Federation GB, St Mary’s Cathedral Workshops,  Historic Environment Scotland, Scottish Contractors Group and Construction Industry Training Board.