Glidden Trade makes Scottish castle fit for a laird

Aberuchill Castle has been described as the perfect Highland retreat with its 3,300 acre loch-side position in the rolling Perthshire countryside. However the castle's exterior was showing the ravages of time following many years of Scottish weather taking its toll on the paintwork, leaving it dull and grimy. In order to rejuvenate the castle's exterior, specialist masonry paint from Glidden Trade was specified by Hugh Simpson, Specifier Account Manager at ICI Paints Akzo Nobel, to give Aberuchill a new look, fit for a laird.

Despite its position nestled between heather-clad hills on three sides, Aberuchill Castle does not enjoy protection from its surroundings and is very open to the elements that are channelled towards it through the glen. This meant that the chosen product would have to be suitable for application in the typically damp Scottish weather, plus provide a durable and protective barrier from the elements for years to come.

Endurance Pliolite Masonry Paint from Glidden Trade is based on Pliolite Acrylated Rubber resins, which makes it much more tolerant to showery or cold weather during application than traditional water-based exterior masonry paints. This means it can be applied to exterior masonry surfaces at virtually any time of the year. It also results in a long-lasting protective coating which is resistant to moisture and alkali attack - perfect for weathering the damp Scottish climate.

Glasgow-based contractors, Dumbreck Decorators, power-washed and wire-brushed the exterior of the castle in preparation for painting. Endurance Pliolite Masonry Paint is a self-priming product, so Dumbreck was then able to directly apply two coats to the castle's exterior to give it an instant new lease of life.

Director of Dumbreck Decorators, Mark Johnston, says: "Three other paint brands were trialled for this project, but Endurance Pliolite Masonry Paint was by far the best in terms of clarity of colour, quality of finish and cost effectiveness. In addition, the product offered us ease of application in less-than-perfect weather conditions so it made our job a great deal easier.

"The ultimate test of any project however, is client satisfaction, and the castle's owners were very pleased with the result, so we'll certainly be looking to use the product again."

The location and scale of Aberuchill Castle meant that Endurance Pliolite Masonry Paint was the ideal choice for the job. The advanced Pliolite technology in this paint system has been specifically developed for exterior masonry on commercial, institutional and industrial structures, so will give Aberuchill Castle a long lasting, protective finish against the elements for years to come.