New training in traditional building skills

The Scottish Government has announced 30 new apprenticeships as part of its strategy to put traditional building skills at the heart of Scotland's construction industry.

The strategy promotes traditional building skills as "key to looking after the economic asset that is Scotland's traditional building stock", contributing to sustainable economic growth and meeting the government's target for carbon reduction.

It has been developed by Historic Scotland with Skills Development Scotland, Sector Skills Council and Construction Skills.

Launching the strategy after meeting Historic Scotland apprentices at Croft an Righ, behind the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, culture minister Fiona Hyslop said: "Traditional building skills are valuable in preserving our economic and cultural assets and are increasingly important as viable sustainable skills for the future.

"We have lost some of the traditional skills and techniques that made Scotland what it was and it is essential that we halt that decline and relearn skills which have been lost."