The posting
Job Description
Starting salary: £29,622 Contract type: Permanent Grade: 2 Location: Stirling Depot Working Hours: Summer (Apr to Sept) Monday to Thursday 7.30 am to 4.15 pm, Friday 7.30am 2-00 pm Winter (Oct to Mar) Monday to Thursday 8 am to 4.15 pm, Friday off Interviews: To be held in person at Argyll's Lodging, Castle Wynd, Stirling, FK8 1EG on Week Commencing 30th November 2026
Thank you for your interest in the post of Stonemason with Historic Environment Scotland that will be based at our Stirling Depot. This is a permanent, full-time position.
The Monument Conservation Unit (MCU) based in Stirling is tasked with the responsibility for conservation, maintenance and presentation works within the Stirling depots remit. You will assist with conservation, and routine maintenance works to HES monuments in the Stirling Depot area including one of our flagship sites, Stirling Castle.
For more information about the post and information about the team, please access the full job description for this post. Please note that if you don't have Office 365 installed on your device, this can be opened using your browser.
Benefits of joining us at Historic Environment Scotland
- Enrolment onto a Civil Service Pension scheme – 28% employer contribution
- 25 days annual leave, pro-rata (increasing to 30 days after 3 years) + 11.5 public holidays
- Reimbursement for relevant professional subscriptions
- Support for further education and personal development
- Study leave for work related courses
- Flexible working hours (where appropriate)
- Free entry to all of our properties (with up to three guests)
- Free entry to English Heritage, Manx and Cadw properties
Key Responsibilities of this role
You will carry out conservation and routine maintenance works to HES monuments in the various depot areas. This involves all forms of traditional masonry including:
- Stone cutting/hewing of various architectural mouldings/stones for the Depot sites and monuments in other depot areas as required.
- Traditional building/repairs/indenting of stonework.
- Raking out and pointing defective joints and beds.
- Promote traditional methods of conservation and masonry techniques to carry out challenging and diverse conservation projects/works.
- Operate hand tools in addition to powered machinery such as disc saws, mortar mixers, compressors hoists etc. to facilitate the work when trained to do so.
- The winter season may consist of work outwith the normal duties associated with stonemasonry consisting of lime washing, ground works and cobbles/slabs repair as well as general presentation works.
- Provide training and mentoring for apprentice stonemasons in traditional conservation skills when required.
- Comply with and promote HES Health and Safety Policy
- Willingness or ability to work outside in sometimes difficult weather conditions
- Ability to work safely around fluctuating visitor numbers and event activities
From time to time you will be required to attend training courses identified to assist the work, or to comply with health and safety legislation (this may require overnight stays away from home).
Key requirements of the role:
In order for you to be successful in this post, we will be looking for you to submit a cover letter which addresses how you can meet each of the essential and desirable criteria (in up to 1,200 words), using examples of where you have demonstrated these criteria previously. Please ensure that you provide real life examples for each of the criteria to be considered for this post. You can use examples of how you have met this criteria from your work life, home life, education or volunteer experience. Please read our CV and Cover Letter Guidance first before completing, as you will only be eligible for selection if you use examples of how you meet the essential and desirable criteria.
Essential:
- Be a time served tradesperson
- Proven knowledge of the stonemasonry trade and other traditional building crafts. In particular an understanding and knowledge of current conservation practises and techniques relating to historic buildings and monuments.
- Good understanding and practical experience of the conservation, presentation and repair of Historic Monuments and/or listed buildings.
- Good all-round understanding and practical experience of using lime mortars.
- SVQ level 4 or SVQF level 6 (advanced craft) in Stonemasonry.
- Competent in all aspects of stone cutting, hewing practices and techniques.
- Competent in stone repair, indenting and the various practices and techniques used.
- Competent in building of stonework of both random rubble and ashlar work.
Find out more about desirable skills and experience in our full job description
We are dedicated to building a workforce which is reflective of diversity within Scotland. We warmly welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, regardless of age, race, gender or gender identity, religious beliefs, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or neurodiversity. In support of our Gaelic Language Plan, we welcome applications from Gaelic speakers.
We want every candidate to have the best chance to succeed during the recruitment process. If you require your application in an alternative format, please reach out to us via email at [email protected] or call our Head Office at 0131 668 8600 and speak to a member of our People Team.
Please note that, at this time, we are unfortunately unable to provide sponsorship as part of the recruitment process, therefore you must have current right to work in the UK to be considered for a post.
To submit your application online, please read our ‘How to Apply’ followed by ‘Apply Now’ button to begin your application.
