Castlandhill House, Rosyth - 9th Sept

It was another beautiful day at Castlandhill House, one of our favourite locations on the CSDSWA calendar. A favourite not just because of the incredible lunch put on for us, but because it offers a chance to look back in time at the work done by the branch here over the past 10 years.The CSB has been working on a long stretch of basalt wall here for a little over ten years. We visit Castlandhill House twice a year for a one day event. Partly because we have to watch our waistlines, but mostly because the weight of the stone means we need more time to recover.The stone here is the same stone which Edinburgh Castle sits on. That stone is basalt. Basalt is an extrusive igneous (volcanic) rock formed from the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the earth's surface. It's formation makes it very dense meaning it's very heavy and very hard to shape. Goggles are essential.Working with basalt like this requires a slightly different approach to building a wall. While still building to a course, the trick is to use the natural angles of the stone to try and fit the pieces together. This in theory looks simple , but in practice requires a lot of trial and error and often results in a few bruised fingers owing to the added weight and sharp edges of the stone.It's a good job they feed us so well.