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Publication Account
Date 1985
Event ID 1016167
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1016167
There are considerable deposits of carboniferous limestone in Midlothian, East Lothian and parts of West Lothian-though relatively little in the Borders where the farmers of the Merse, for instance, sent their carts 30-40 kms to collect lime from Skateraw. These deposits contain many fossil shells and corals, laid down long ago in deep clear waters. The proximity of a reliable, developing, nearby coal industry able to power the reduction of limestone to quicklime became increasingly important by the mid 18th century when agricultural improvers looked to lime to counteract natural acidity in the soil. It became equally important for such new urban building programmes as Edinburgh's New Town, 1767-1825, and for industrial use (eg gasworks, iron-working and potteries).
Lime burning, therefore, came to take on an industrial character of its own-though in generally rural surroundings. And the principle was much the same in the larger as in the smaller kilns, once vertical drawkilns came to replace horizontal horse-shoe shaped clamp kilns in the later 18th century.
Small rural draw-kilns as at Cat Craig were generally egg-shaped and built with a stone-facing and brick lining (brick retains and reflects heat better, hence the brick facings to walled gardens attached to country mansions). The kiln was packed with alternate layers of coal and lime-one part coal to four parts quarried limestone seems about average-and set alight. Lime burning continued all summer; it was a hot, dry and dusty occupation, and beer was often provided as part of the daily wages. When burnt, the lime was taken out through the draw-hole at the base and more coal and limestone added through the opening at the top.
To see a kiln at full power at night must have been a remarkable sight; in 1810 two ships mistook that at Skateraw for the coal-fired beacon on May island, with disastrous results!
At Cat Craig there is a pair of mid 19th century kilnsone a 2-draw kiln, the other a 3-draw kiln. The centre arch in the face of the bank gives access to draw-holes for both kilns. The kilns were associated with extensive quarries, a power-house and a track leading to a landing place on the rocks, before their closure in 1921. At low tide, on the foreshore, nine different limestones can be identified from their different fossils.
Information from 'Exploring Scotland's Heritage: Lothian and Borders', (1985).
