Hello all In process of total refurbishment of a Victorian stone cottage. Scotland, coastal location. Walls are very thick, about 2 ft, and built out of some very random rubble, Basically a pile of stones held up with gravity, so very uneven. May have originally been a byre or similar barn for animals. Over the years, it is clear that various repairs have been undertaken, including using cement render in some places, and topped off by plastic masonry paint over the lot. The paint is flaking, and clearly moisture has been held in the stonework. the interior has been completely stripped out, as it was also damp, unsurprisingly! I started by stripping back the plastic paint, and as I go am discovering quite how bad the walls are. Most of the mortar is falling out, and some of the faces of the stones are disintegrating and turning back into sand. So large holes are appearing on the wall surface. On the plus side stucco Raleigh, the cottage is quite small, single storey with interior footprint of only around 40m2. We plan on rebuilding the interior floor and walls, with appropriate tanking and damp proofing materials to ensure that water is kept out. The exterior ground levels will also be reduced, once we have tied in the building to the new floor (just in case the very weak foundations decide to give way). We intend to pack in lots of insulation in floors, walls and loft. Heating will be via GSHP and UFH as part of a district heating system (we have 4 cottages altogether). We are thinking about how to finish the very uneven and now holey exterior walls. Our builder is suggesting an exterior insulating cladding with render over the top. I assume we will have to at least try and stuff some lime mortar into the holes beforehand. My concern about external insulating cladding is potential for dampness and how the walls can continue to breathe and dry out. Has anyone successfully clad dodgy stonework? What did you use? Any hints and tips that may help us? Thank you!