Come and hunt for fossils at Seafield shore with Dr. Katie Strang and GeoBus! The rocks at Seafield are around 330 million years old, deposited at a time when Scotland lay close to the equator and experienced a hot and humid climate. Come along and chat to geologists to find out all about the ancient […]
Innellan is 4 miles south of Dunoon on the Cowal Peninsula. The Highland Boundary Fault, which separates metamorphic slates and schists to the north from Devonian sandstones to the south, passes through Innellan and is exposed on the beach, together with some exotic serpentinites. The Innellan Beach Pebble Day will focus on the rocks and […]
Experts will help you discover the story behind pebbles you find on the beach. Red sandstones from nearby cliffs laid down 300 million years ago in a desert, stones from Ailsa Craig and and even a mammoth bone transported to the beach by the action of ice and water. Visit the beach and see what […]
Come meet up with geologists and biologists who will help you explore the variety of pebbles, how they were formed and how this links to the types of wildlife that can live in the area. This is a drop in event, so you can turn up at a time that suits you and spend as […]
Working with Lunan Bay Community Partnership, the Scottish Geology Trust as part of the Scottish Geology Festival will provide an opportunity to explore some of the local geoheritage. Join us between 11:00am - 4:00pm on the 26th September for this fantastic event! Lunan Bay is well known for its miles of sand, but have you […]
Join geologists and volunteers from the Scottish Geology Trust on the beach for some hands-on activities to explore the stories hidden in every pebble. We’ll discover an amazing variety of pebbles, find out where they come from and what they tell us about Scotland’s geology. We’ll also find out why the beach looks the way […]
Join geologists and volunteers from the Scottish Geology Trust on the beach for some hands-on activities to explore the stories hidden in every pebble. We’ll discover an amazing variety of pebbles, find out where they come from and what they tell us about Scotland’s geology. We’ll also find out why the beach looks the way […]
Explore a dramatic period in Arran’s past, discover evidence of prehistoric beasts, and spot modern day wildlife A joint event with Arran Ranger Service. There will be an Arran Geopark guide and a National Trust for Scotland ranger leading this walk. Walk length: 6 km / 4 miles Approx. duration: 4 hours Terrain: road, track, […]
The Grampian Terrane has basement rocks about 1800 million years old (Badenoch group and Rhinns Complex) buried under the Proterozoic rocks of the Dalradian supergroup on the mainland and its equivalent rocks in the Inner Hebrides (Colonsay). These were deposited as sediments around 900-500 million years ago, resulting from erosion of various sources across Laurentia […]
It’s said we live in the ‘age of mammals’, but in her exciting new book, Beasts Before Us, Dr Elsa Panciroli reveals that this is not strictly true. The real origin story of our furry, milk-giving lineage is longer and more extraordinary than anyone ever thought. In this event Dr Panciroli will talk about her […]
What makes Edinburgh special? Through a series of short walks in and around the city centre, we will explore how has the city’s landscape been created, and how the geology and landscape of Edinburgh has influenced the development of the city. We will explore Edinburgh's geological past, and discover how the landscape has slowly evolved […]
The Rhynie chert is the earliest fossilised terrestrial ecosystem preserving a diversity of Early Devonian plants, animal, fungi and microbes. Frozen in time for 407 million years it ranks as one of the most important fossils sites in the world and is named after the village it was discovered near, Rhynie, in Aberdeenshire. The aim […]
A guided walk exploring the remote northern end of Glen Roy, Lochaber. Famed for its ‘Parallel Roads’ a geological phenomenon which attracts visitors from all over the world it is a beautiful, rugged glen where both nature and people have left their mark. We will discover the mystery and controversy behind the Parallel Roads story […]
Venture into the glacial landscape of Glen Sannox, learn about Arran's industrial heritage, and find evidence of sea-level change. Walk length: 4 km / 3 miles Approx. duration: 3 hours Terrain: road, surfaced path and uneven rocky shoreline; rocks may be very slippery. Waterproofs are essential; please wear grippy shoes or walking boots; and don’t […]
Columnar Basalt lava is a remarkable natural phenomenon and is found in many places throughout Mull and the other islands nearby. This talk, lavishly illustrated with the speaker's own photos of these rocks will showcase the best places to see it, explain how it is formed and what it tells us about the ancient landscape […]
Pterygotus is an aquatic arthropod which went extinct hundreds of millions of years ago. The McManus' curator David Lampard talks about a fossil of the creature from their collection. Find out more on YouTube - watch now.
Join Patrick Corbett and other contributors online to celebrate the launch of Earth Lines: Geopoetry and Geopoetics published by the Edinburgh Geological Society. This is a book that explores the stratigraphy of the poetry in rocks and stones. “A pleasure to hold, a delight to behold.” Kenneth White, Founder of the International Institute of Geopoetics. […]
First in a series of two walks. Join an expert geologist and a Ranger on a 3-hour guided walk to discover how the landscape of Holyrood Park has been shaped and sculpted by ice through the ages. Explore areas of the park to learn how to identify distinctive land features left by glaciers. Spaces limited. […]
PLEASE NOTE: Due to forecast weather conditions this cruise has been postponed, we hope to be able to reschedule it for a future date (updated 3pm 1/10/21) Travel back in time on this 3-hour cruise along the Berwickshire Coast from Eyemouth, past Burnmouth Caves to Lamberton Skerrs and back. There will be a geological and […]
The Midland Valley Terrane is underlain by basement rocks of about 480 million years that contain relicts of oceanic crust, magmatic intrusions and the volcanic arc that collided with the Laurentian margin during the first phase of the Caledonian orogeny. This basement was eroded and covered around 460-430 million years ago by a local succession […]
Join three teams of palaeontologists as they battle it out in the first ever Scottish Fossil Showdown! Team Palaeozoic, Team Mesozoic and Team Cenozoic will each argue for the best fossils from their time period. Can they convince you their favourite fossil is the best of all time? It will be up to you to […]
Our in-person public lecture will explore geological aspects of climate change in the past, present and future. The panel of guest speakers will consider what the sedimentary rocks of this area tell us about climate in the geological past and evidence from Scotland’s coasts of changes in the last millennia and decades. We’ll look to […]
Apologies, this event has been cancelled. Starting at the ferry slipway at Mingary, this is a gentle stroll among a fascinating geological landscape where there is an amazing variety of geological features in the one relatively small area. Find out why Ardnamurchan is such an important geological locality and gain an insight into the processes […]
Logitech have developed a step-by-step process for the perfect preparation of geological thin sections for petrographic analysis. Join our Process Development Engineer, John McCrossan with over 33 years' experience of working with thin sections, and see our step-by-step process from slabbing and trimming of field specimen, impregnation, right through to final stage polishing. Benefit from […]
Alyson Hallett writes about stones and rocks and for the past twenty years she has curated an international poetry and public art project, The Migration Habits of Stones. She has previously talked about her work at The Geological Society of London and presented her ideas in an essay on Radio 3 and an audio-diary on […]
About the talk: The Beach Today began as a daily project formed during the first months of lockdown; a series of photographs of marine objects collected in Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland, each display collected during strictly-half-hour beach walks. In November 2020 and on the (personal) discovery of a local pebble beach, Christina […]
Second in a series of two walks. Join an expert geologist and a Ranger on a 3 hour guided walk to discover the fascinating geological history of Holyrood Park. Discover fossilised lagoons, walk on lava and find out more about Edinburgh’s own James Hutton (the father of modern geology). Route contains rough tracks, uneven and […]
Experts will help you discover the story behind pebbles you find on the beach. Sandstones from nearby cliffs laid down 430 million years ago in a deep ocean, granite transported by ice and water to the beach by the action of ice and water and rocks formed in a volcanic vent and exposed on a […]
An opportunity to discover Edinburgh’s volcano during a walk in Holyrood Park! Learn about the 340 million year history of Arthur’s Seat, from tropical lagoons to volcanic eruptions and shaping by glaciers, as well as how climate change may change this landscape in the future. At this drop-in event, SGT geologists will interpret the landscape […]
Come meet up with geologists and biologists who will help you explore the variety of pebbles, how they were formed and how this links to the types of wildlife that can live in the area. This is a drop in event, so you can turn up at a time that suits you and spend as […]
Join geologists and volunteers from the Scottish Geology Trust on the beach between 11:00am – 2:00pm for some hands-on activities to explore the stories hidden in every pebble. We’ll discover an amazing variety of pebbles, find out where they come from and what they tell us about Scotland’s geology. We’ll also find out why the […]
The Southern Uplands Terrane has rocks as old as 480 million years that represent a portion of an ancient ocean floor and its sedimentary cover. This sequence of rocks was buried under huge volumes of turbidites – sedimentary rocks of terrestrial origin deposited in the deep marine environment around 460-420 million years ago – belonging […]
Join Andy Moffat for an exploration of the building stones of Inverness. From granite to larvikite and from Caithness to Rajasthan, Andy will guide attendants through the geology of the city's decorative stones. The event will be held on Zoom. Booking required: https://www.nwhgeopark.com/event/talk-building-stones-of-inverness An event in the Scottish Geology Festival, organised by the Scottish Geology […]
Broadcaster, DJ and author Gemma Cairney will delve into the purpose and power of public art as she joins Sky Arts on a mission to create the UK’s next major landmark. She’ll be joined along the way by two expert judges – curator Clare Lilley and visual artist Hetain Patel – as well as six […]
Join geologists and volunteers from the North West Highlands Geopark and Scottish Geology Trust on the beach between 10am - 12pm for some hands-on activities to explore the stories hidden in every pebble. We’ll discover an amazing variety of pebbles, find out where they come from and what they tell us about Scotland’s geology. We’ll […]
Carbon Capture and Storage is one of an array of tools available to enable the decarbonisation of modern life, the task which has in recent years crystalised as the defining challenge of the current time. Bodies such as the IEA, CCC and IPCC underline the technology as a vital part of the solution space if […]
What will Scotland look like in 2050? By then, after decades of anthropogenic climate change, there will be obvious effects of increased sea level and coastal erosion, and probably more rainfall and flooding, and rising groundwater. Meeting the Scottish Government target to reduce Scotland's emissions of all greenhouse gases to net-zero by 2045 (at the […]
Discover the story behind pebbles you find on the beach and get creative with hands-on beach activities! • Explore the variety of pebbles on Arran’s beaches. • Find out what these pebbles tell us about our island's story. • Learn about beach processes and the impact of climate change on the coast. • Get creative […]
Join Andy Moffat for an exploration of the building stones of Inverness. From granite to larvikite and from Caithness to Rajasthan, Andy will guide attendants through the geology of the city's decorative stones. A follow-up event to the lecture held on 11th October, this guided walk will bring the stones talked about to life. Booking […]
Online talk by Rebecca Schulz International Energy Agency on the energy transition. Minerals are essential components in many of today’s rapidly growing clean energy technologies – from wind turbines and electricity networks to electric vehicles. Demand for these minerals will grow quickly as clean energy transitions gather pace. An energy system powered by clean energy […]
This event is part of the Geologist's Association Annual Conference, being held in Edinburgh 15-17 October 2021. The reception at the Playfair Library of the University of Edinburgh is open to all, and gives an opportunity to view the Lyell notebooks and correspondence followed by a wine and canape reception. Sir Charles Lyell (1797 - […]
The Geologists' Association annual conference comes to Edinburgh from Friday 15 to Sunday 17 October 2021, in partnership with the Edinburgh Geological Society. On Friday afternoon there will be a guided tour of the geology section at the National Museum of Scotland, and in the early evening a reception at the Playfair Library with a […]
Geological tours of the Fossil Grove and the Quarry Knowe in Victoria Park, Glasgow. Eleven trees in their growth positions dating back 330 million years ago when this part of Scotland was at the equator. The earth's climate was different then too and the tours will explore links between past and present climates. Free, no […]
Join Angus Miller, Katie Strang and other Festival volunteers to celebrate the Scottish Geology Festival 2021. With well over 100 events over the last 6 weeks, on beaches, in museums, on Zoom and YouTube, we hope this has been a Festival for everyone. Share your favourite pebbles and what you've enjoyed about this year's Festival. […]
It is Scotland’s most important geological site, but Siccar Point is tucked away on the rugged coastline of the Scottish Borders, a hidden gem with beautiful coastal scenery and a rich geological story. We’ll get to the point by following James Hutton’s journey along the Berwickshire Coast from Cockburnspath, gradually travelling back in time through […]
This drop-in event on Saturday the 23rd October, 11am-3pm, gives you a unique opportunity to share your potential fossil finds with visiting expert palaeontologists. Have your finds positively identified and, if you wish, donate them to our fossil handling box. If you require more information about this event please email EMfossilfinders@gmail.com This free event has […]
The Perthshire Society of Natural Science and Culture Perth & Kinross presents the Curious Minds lecture series. A potted history of Plate Tectonics We are all familiar with the concept of Plate Tectonics but, as late as the 1960s, it was still resisted by many Geologists. Nick Gardiner will discuss the history of the idea, […]
Join a 4.6km Deep Time Walk to travel across Earth's 4.6 billion year timeline at a rate of one million years per metre. Starting at the formation of the solar system and the creation of Earth, Deep Time Walk covers significant events in Earth's deep history, including the formation of the Moon, plate tectonics, the […]
Join Tim Lawson on an exploration of the geological structure and evolutionary timeline of Quinag mountain in Assynt. The Y-shaped ridge of Quinag mountain has been hewn from the local bedrock by many erosional processes over millions of years. Tim will explore this evolution with particular attention to the effects of various phases of glaciation. […]
The Torridonian sandstones and the metamorphosed Moine rocks of the Northern Highlands represent a fragment of a vast deposit of Precambrian sandstone. Traditionally, they have been treated separately, but recent detrital zircon dating has shown that parts of the Moine are in fact the same as the Torridon sandstone. Somewhat puzzling, the source of these […]
