Tarmac’s Ravelrig Quarry near Edinburgh is powering a range of projects, while providing local people with high-value jobs and supporting the local economy
LOCATED less than ten miles from the centre of Edinburgh, Ravelrig Quarry is at the heart of the city’s and the Lothians’ construction pipeline, providing essential materials for housebuilding and infrastructure projects.
In geological terms, Ravelrig is home to olivine dolerite, a strong igneous rock that produces high-quality aggregate optimal for road building and surfacing, ready mix concrete and foundations for buildings. This material dates back 295 million years to the Permian era and has been quarried at this location for nearly 200 years.
Due to the importance of this material, Tarmac secured approval in April 2025 to extend the quarry and continue extraction for an additional 24 years, unlocking millions more tonnes of the reserve.
The extension and continued operation of the quarry will provide a strategically important supply of materials to help deliver the City of Edinburgh Council’s local development plan, City Plan 2030, which includes new homes, roads and infrastructure.
Martin Harley, area commercial manager – materials Scotland at Tarmac, said, “Ravelrig Quarry is a strategic asset for Scotland’s growth plans, providing high-quality, locally-sourced materials needed to build new housing and infrastructure sustainably.
“Being on Edinburgh’s doorstep, the site offers contractors across the Lothians a major opportunity to shorten supply chains and cut carbon while supporting the local economy. To maximise these carbon savings and economic advantages, we’re always keen to engage early with project teams to understand their needs and build an efficient supply strategy from the outset.”
One strategic infrastructure asset that is benefiting from the local quarry is Edinburgh Airport. Working with Careys, Tarmac is supplying 70,000 tonnes of material from Ravelrig for new airport stand developments, where aircraft park to load, unload and receive ground services.
Cutting carbon
Ravelrig is among the UK’s lowest-carbon crushed rock quarries, helping Scottish projects to reduce embodied carbon within their material supply chains. The carbon footprint of aggregates is assessed by considering two key contributors: emissions from production at the quarry and those generated during transport to the customer. Ravelrig is able to keep emissions low on both fronts.
Long-term investment in fixed plant at the site has created a fully electric processing plant that is very close to the point where the stone is first extracted. All other aspects at the quarry are constantly reviewed and optimised to minimise energy use and only renewable electricity is used at the site. Additionally, when stone leaves the quarry, the proximity to Edinburgh means a short average transport distance, which is a fraction of that typically seen elsewhere in the UK.
Making a lasting impact
As well as providing an important supply of low-carbon materials, the quarry has had a significant socio-economic impact on the local area.
Tarmac operates an apprenticeship scheme at Ravelrig, providing training and development opportunities that have enabled local people to progress and build long-term careers. Kieran Adam, who started as an apprentice in 2015, is now senior operations manager for the north east.
Commenting on the quarry’s impact, Colin Slater, Scotland senior operations manager at Tarmac, said, “Ravelrig was the first large site I took on as quarry manager back in 2015 and it has been providing high-quality jobs for local people since it opened in 1984.
“The apprenticeship scheme in particular gives young people in the area a pathway into skilled employment in the minerals industry. Nearly everyone working at the site is local to Edinburgh or the Lothians, with several having worked at the site for decades.”
The quarry also actively supports the local community through practical and charitable initiatives. The site team have previously donated resources to a local litter picking group, supplied stone for a local art project in Kirknewton and provided financial support to local non-profit organisation Ravelrig Riding for the Disabled.
Ravelrig will continue to be operational for many more years but when extraction does cease, Tarmac will restore the site to a lake with grassland habitats. There will be public access around the site and the quarry operator is already working with local access officers to improve existing links and footpaths for the local community.
Ravelrig is set to play an important role in Scotland’s sustainable development. By supplying low-carbon materials for critical housing and infrastructure projects, training young professionals, supporting local communities and delivering long-term environmental benefits, the quarry is helping to build a positive legacy for Edinburgh and the Lothians.
