Glasgow Blonde Sandstone

Glasgow Blonde Sandstone is a Carboniferous sandstone from the Glasgow area. During the Carboniferous Scotland was located close to the equator and experienced tropical conditions. In the Midland Valley Region sands, silts and muds were deposited under deltaic conditions and it was from these that Giffnock Sandstone eventually formed. It is described as a ‘freestone’ because of its textural uniformity and as such is often seen as dressings and carved detail on buildings. Quarrying ceased at the end of the 19th Century.

Glasgow Blonde is fine to medium-grained and white to buff coloured sandstone with a lower iron content than the other local brown Giffnock Sandstone. Like Giffnock Sandstone Glasgow Blonde can weather poorly in a highly polluted environment showing granular disintegration and scaling.