04/11/2026
What goes into restoring a traditional Ballachulish slate roof?
A lot of careful work before the slate ever goes back on.
At Tigh-Nan-Ubhal in Tongue, the existing slate was stripped, assessed, cleaned, dressed and graded, with around half of the original material able to be reused.
Reclaimed Ballachulish slate was then sourced to complete the roof, matching the size, texture, thickness and weathered appearance of the originals.
The roof was reinstated using traditional diminishing courses, with each slate hand-holed and double-fixed using copper nails. Modern roofing materials were also introduced underneath to improve performance without changing the traditional appearance of the building.
It is this balance of traditional skills, specialist knowledge and modern roofing methods that makes heritage projects like this so interesting for the team.
A closer look at the craftsmanship behind one of our recent Highland projects: https://macleodroofing.co.uk/case-study/restoring-a-130-year-old-ballachulish-slate-roof-in-the-highlands/