Glasgow's characteristic red sandstone buildings were constructed from the remnants of a prehistoric desert that covered the area about 30 million years ago.
The malleable and abundant nature the sedimentary rock made it a popular choice with construction teams in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.
But sandstone has a vulnerability to the elements, particularly with the passing of time and the pollution produced by the city's manufacturing heritage.
The problems this can cause were highlighted last week when a stone balcony in the city's Govan Road fell 25ft from the 1906-built Potted Heid building onto the street below.
Those living in the property may now face a hefty repair bill.
However, one resident - who bought her flat 18 months ago - said she received no warnings about the building's structural integrity when it was surveyed.
Glasgow City Council said owners were responsible for maintaining listed buildings.
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"The council and others make funds available to assist owners of listed buildings and have certain limited powers to carry out urgent works to unoccupied buildings.
"We would not therefore have been able to undertake any works in this instance."
No-one was injured in the Govan Road incident, but such incidents can prove to have fatal consequences.
Cyril McConnell, 59, died after he was hit by masonry while walking along Parnie Street in Glasgow after storms destabilised the stonework in 2002.
The following year, 10-month-old Trilby Graham died after a roof fell on her and her mother as they walked along the high street in West Bromwich.
Working holiday
Seven years ago Australian backpacker Christine Foster died after being struck by a piece of heavy stonework in Edinburgh.
The 26-year-old had been serving customers at a pavement cafe in the city after coming to Scotland for a working holiday.
Her death prompted Edinburgh City Council to launch a review of historic buildings to assess their safety.
It found that without statutory compulsion, property owners were unlikely to voluntarily introduce proactive repair and maintenance schemes.
"At the end of the day it is up to the property owner to make sure the building is well maintained"
The initiative found that most would opt for a reactive, minimum repair approach.
The council carries out 1,300 emergency building repairs every year.
A spokesperson said: "Edinburgh is a historic city and like any city with a high proportion of older traditional buildings there is a real risk of falling masonry and building materials, which can cause serious injury or death.
"Property owners, including tenement owners, are responsible for ensuring their buildings are safely maintained and repairs are carried out.
"We would urge property owners to be vigilant and have their buildings inspected regularly."
Catastrophic effect
There have also been calls for the introduction of regular MoT-style safety checks of all aging properties across Scotland.
Owners of buildings must be able to show that they understand the maintenance needs of their property to comply with their insurance contracts.
Andrew Adam, sales and marketing manager with the JW Group of insurance brokers in Glasgow, said: "Falling masonry can have catastrophic effects. At the end of the day it is up to the property owner to make sure the building is well maintained.
"There are some (buildings) that have been poorly maintained or inappropriate modern building techniques have been used on them"
"But the onus is also on the insurers to ask all the right questions and instruct the property owner if there are any risks.
"Most of these old substantial properties now have factors and insurers are very proactive about creating risk management programmes designed to tackle the issue."
Donald Coghill, who worked as a building control officer for 14 years and was also a surveyor across Scotland, said inappropriate repairs were also adding to the problem.
He said: "A lot of these buildings are still solid and there will never be any problems.
"But there are some that have been poorly maintained or inappropriate modern building techniques have been used on them, causing problems with the structure."
Climate change is also having an impact. Wetter weather can lead to the saturation of stonework, causing it to decay and break away.
Mr Coghill added: "If that increases then it could lead to more problems, so it is important that people regularly check their roofs and guttering."
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