The village of Killin lies in an area of dramatic landscape and mountain scenery. The use of local stone
in the buildings gives a direct connection to this landscape and reflects the local geology, comprising
mostly metamorphic rocks of Precambrian age –dominantly limestone, meta-sandstone, mica schist
and meta-igneous rocks. All of these (with the exception of the Loch Tay Limestone which was used for
soil improvement) were used in buildings and structures within the Killin Conservation Area.
The stone masonry in the village is classified into five categories; (1) cottages (mostly harled) built of
random rubble from field and river boulders and surface rock outcrops, (2) two storey buildings with
irregular coursed rubble walls of meta-sandstone and mica schist with large dressings of silver-grey
slabs of actinolite schist, (3) and (4) larger late 19th century buildings with dressings of Central Belt
sandstone used in combination with squared rubble walling of local actinolite schist and metasandstone.
The 5th masonry category represents relatively late buildings constructed using distinctive
imported stone types (e.g. whinstone, granite, red sandstone). These categories are broadly
chronological in order and reflect the development of architectural form along with improving
transportation of materials over time
