Edinburgh Lime Mortar Roughcasting & Harling

The lime mortar coating known as harling or roughcasting is the most commonly applied external finish to be found on vernacular architecture in Scotland, Edinburgh.

The harling material is a combination of aggregates and lime binders, mixed into a slurry consistency and applied in a fluid state. Historically the harling was applied directly to the masonry walls which had previously been evened out by pointing the wall flush and filling small holes with stone pinnings and mortar. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, it became commonplace to apply one or two trowelled undercoats to flatten the background before casting on the lime mortar roughcast.