What makes Cloburn so special?

Cloburn Quarry is special in itself; rock has been commercially extracted here since 1896 - originally to provide track ballast for new railway lines.

Cloburn Quarry Limited was established in 1982, and we’ve been working hard ever since to provide the products that people really want, rather than the products we think we can sell.

We came to the business with absolutely no preconceptions about how a quarry should be run, and researched the industry thoroughly to find out what was needed, what the best equipment for the task was, and how to sell our specially-created product ranges. As a result, we’re now proud owners of a truly individual quarrying company, producing unique products that people really want, and using specialist plant equipment, some of which isn’t found anywhere else in the UK.

Where we’ve really turned the business on its head is by designing and creating specific products to meet consumer and business needs, rather than just figuring out ways to market by-products of the granite products we already quarry. For example, our Granitsand isn’t simply left over sand from the quarrying process, like traditional bedding sand, but in fact it’s a completely new product that’s manufactured specifically for a need we’ve pinpointed in the construction market.

Most bedding sands are soft, pliable and of course very easy to source. It’s been a standard product sold for many years, but we didn’t want to simply carry on producing a product that had well known disadvantages; yes it was easy to use due to its pliability, but that pliability also meant a loss of durability. We knew there was a demand for a strong, hard bedding sand type product made specifically from hard rock which would provide long-lasting results.

We’re constantly researching new products, and the market, so that we keep on top of construction news and trends, and listen to our customers’ needs. It’s one of the reasons for our success and keeps everything fresh and interesting for us – and for the members of staff who’ve been with us since we started.

We’ve had team members at Cloburn since day one, and we think this incredibly low turnover is another reason for our success.  Our whole team lives and breathes the Cloburn ethos, and works hard to carry the business forward.

What is GranitSand?

Along with our wide range of other aggregates, we also sell bedding sand or Granitsand here at Cloburn, which has a huge variety of domestic and industrial uses. If you’re thinking of doing a little DIY over the spring, you might consider using some of this versatile material in your next project?

Granitsand is a hardy type of aggregate that’s made by crushing hard rock from our quarries into sand sized particles via mechanical compression. Some quarries sell bedding sand which is a by-product of the mining process; we don’t.  We manufacture Granitsand here at Cloburn and sell it as a durable, hardy dry landscaping material. It produces a wear-resistant matrix for commercial grade concrete flooring, slabs and patios.

Some patios and driveways can be prone to depression and unevenness, because the bedding sand they are laid on is soft and pliable. It makes laying the slabs easy, but in the long term it can lead to loss of durability. The unique features of Granitsand mean that it doesn’t degrade, it’s extremely low maintenance, and it also has the advantage of being very attractive with its distinctive red colour.

Bedding sand

Traditionally, bedding sand is often used in landscaping to create an even, level surface ready for DIY projects to be carried out. The existing soil is removed with a shovel, anything from a few inches to over a foot, depending on the size of the project. Bedding sand is then put on top of the remaining soil, or a gravel base.

Bedding sand is often used by people who are landscaping paving stones or patios in their gardens, where an inch or so will usually suffice for the job. Don’t confuse bedding sand with joint sand however; joint sand is completely different and should be placed in between the stones rather than underneath the patio.

Why is Granitsand so different?

What makes Granitsand different is that nobody else makes it like we do! We manufacture it from some of the strongest rocks in Europe, and we make it using a specific process, so that it won’t deform under compression, whether it’s from people or even cars – that’s why it’s preferred bedding sand in UK and Europe.

For more information about uses for Granitsand, give our friendly team a call.

You could be walking on a Cloburn walkway!

Are you heading off to Europe for a romantic city break this spring? Perhaps you’ve booked a weekend in Amsterdam, and you’re anticipating lots of leisurely walking along the canals, over the bridges, stopping off in a café or two and taking in the scenery?

Well, it’s highly likely if you go sightseeing in some of Europe’s biggest and most popular cities that you could well be walking on a pavement that’s been created with Cloburn red aggregate.

Our products have been proving very popular with our European clients in recent years, and indeed Cloburn red aggregates have been used extensively in Holland and Germany, where they are favoured because they offer an attractive alternative, the distinctive textured red surface that looks fabulous on concrete paving blocks and also provides a long lasting and comfortable walking surface.

Cities like Amsterdam need to make sure that their walkways are durable as well as good looking – the amount of tourism necessitates attention to quality and detail. Planners have found out that exposed aggregate block paving has many advantages over standard  paving blocks which have been unnaturally pigmented to provide a good colour; Cloburn red aggregates are actually guaranteed to keep their strong red shade for life, and in fact over time, as the colour intensifies rather than fades, it will look better.

Practicalities such as an increased surface area for people to walk (and cycle) on also mean that the blocks stay clean for much longer, even without the famed cleanliness of some European cities. No chewing gum on their pavement, thank you very much!

Cloburn red aggregate also provides a safer, non-slip walkway that’s pleasant and comfortable to walk on, which makes them even more popular with tourism-friendly local authorities who are always keen to encourage more people into their towns and cities.

So, as you walk the streets of your favourite European city this summer, look down at the pavement and you might well find a little piece of Scotland on the ground beneath you!

For more information on Cloburn’s range of aggregates, please feel free to contact us.

Two new Cats for Cloburn Quarry

It’s been a busy few weeks at Cloburn, and we’ve been investing in new equipment, with a brand new Cat 966K XE wheel loader joining our fleet. Cloburn is the first company in Scotland to invest in the model, but following an impressive competitor comparison test which showed that it was possible to save up to 35 per cent on fuel, we decided to go ahead and set the trend.

We also splashed out on a new Cat 972K wheel loader, using the Just Add Diesel solution from Finning. We replaced existing units with the two new cats and they will be working alongside our existing Cat 980H and a Cat 966H, assisting with the quarrying of raw materials to produce our famous high quality red granite chips and +68 PSV aggregates.

Cloburn Quarry manager Jim Erskine explained the decision:

“As a high-production site, we opted for a premium Cat 966K XE model, as we knew the payback for the additional investment would be achieved quickly. Finning provided us with a demonstrator machine and we carried out performance comparisons against other manufacturers and found fuel savings of 35 per cent being achieved.

“We chose the Cat 972K because it meets our requirements for a high-performing, durable and versatile machine. The Just Add Diesel option on the Cat 972K gives our business a great end-to-end solution with a fixed cost base. We have also been able to fix our costs on the Cat 966K XE with a total service package from Finning.

“Our application requires machinery that guarantees a high level of output at the lowest cost per tonne. It’s imperative for us to have machinery in operation that can deliver a high level of performance, so to know that we have a guaranteed uptime of 98% is crucial.

“Quarrying demands machinery that is durable and robust, and with the added benefit of the engineers constantly monitoring the wheel loader’s performance, I am sure we will see benefits to the business in time.”

Cloburn worked with Finning who were keen to get to grips with our operational and business requirements, and recommended the two wheeled loaders because they could both offer us a high turnover of production.
We decided on Finning’s Just Add Diesel option because not only does it guarantee a 98 per cent machine uptime it also combines high spec machinery with improved productivity. Just Add Diesel is  convenient too, as one monthly fee covers everything, even the things that would normally be classed as extras such as servicing and maintenance, call-out charges and parts.

We’re very much looking forward to welcoming our new mechanical team members.