Join guest lecturer James Westland on a virtual field trip to the south-east corner of Mull. The trip takes in the Loch Buie and Croggan area, rich in igneous geology and a great place to find out about Mull’s volcanic past. We will visit places that are otherwise difficult or arduous to reach and look […]
Coprolites are the fossilised excrement of organisms, in other words – fossilised faeces! Scotland is famous for many things, but not many people know that Scotland is home to some spectacular fossil jobbies! This talk will look at a range of Caledonian coprolites, and why palaeontologists love fossil poo so much! From East Lothian and […]
An informal evening of geopoetry, drawing inspiration from Scotland's geology and landscapes. Invited poets will read some of their own writing, and share their favourite poets. There will be time for chat and questions. And you are also very welcome to make your own contribution: share a poem you have written, or a poet you […]
The prominent place of Scotland in the history of geology is known worldwide, and the same can be said about our palaeontology. Scotland has yielded fossil finds of great significance; from the Elgin Reptiles, to the Bearsden Sharks, and the early plants and animals exceptionally preserved in the Rhynie Chert, to the Dob's Linn Graptolites […]
Scotland’s geology is incredibly varied, this small country has a fantastic variety of rock types formed over a vast reach of geological time. The best place to see this variety is on Scotland’s pebble beaches. How do pebbles form and why do some survive better than others? What processes result in some beaches having a […]
Five hundred million years ago, the Iapetus Ocean lay between three continents in the southern hemisphere. The tectonics of the next 100 million years brought different segments of continent together, formed the grain of the land and created the building blocks of much of Scotland’s landscape. This talk will explore the closure of the Iapetus […]
Core Surprise: What’s Inside a Plate Boundary Fault in Scotland Lucy Mckay, Strathclyde University The core of the Highland Boundary Fault contains some surprising finds. Digging to expose the fault core near Stonehaven revealed a remarkable sequence of clay and microfossils ‘inside’ this ancient plate boundary fault. Surprisingly the fault core consists of four distinct […]
In the last 450 million years, three discrete and very different episodes of volcanic activity have created the bulk of Scotland’s igneous rocks. This volcanic activity has formed the rocks of most of Scotland’s highest hills, provided the sites of many of Scotland’s castles and created the shape of the west coast and islands: in […]
Mull, and the islands of Staffa and Ulva, are famous for their amazing igneous geology. These rocks have played a very important role in the development of the science of geology, with features that are of global significance. Find out about the volcanic history of these islands and the sequence of events that have shaped […]
The ‘Snowball Earth’ deposits of Islay and the Garvellachs are one of the ‘51 Best Places to see Scotland’s Geology’. Together the islands record a thick, well-exposed, and complete section through a major glacial episode which is correlated with the global ‘Sturtian’ event that occurred some 720 million years ago. The Garvellachs section is proposed […]
Core Surprise: What’s Inside a Plate Boundary Fault in Scotland Charlie King, Scotgold, Cononish As the Cononish Gold Mine is brought into production, the question arises- what’s next? This presentation will cover some of the challenges an exploration geologist faces when searching for elusive precious metal deposits in Scotland, how we overcome these challenges and […]
The Midland Valley, sandwiched between two of Scotland’s great fault lines, contains some of Scotland’s youngest rocks, including the coal fields. These lie above older, rifted continental crust. We’ll trace the development of the Midland Valley, from early volcanic activity associated with the closure of the Iapetus Ocean, through to the accumulation of coal and […]
The Moine Thrust runs through the Western Highlands of Scotland, from near Durness to Skye, and is one of Scotland’s great geological divisions. To the west lies a mix of rock types with wonderful names and a long geological history: amongst them are the Lewisian gneiss, Torridonian sandstone, Pipe Rock and Fucoid beds. To the […]
Drilling into mines for heat: the UK Geoenergy Observatory in Glasgow Alison Monaghan, BGS Edinburgh Net-zero carbon targets require significant progress to be made in the decarbonisation of heat. Utilisation of the warm water in flooded, abandoned coal mines beneath many of the UK’s towns and cities could offer a substantial opportunity for decarbonised heating […]
Join Hutton scholar Gregory Todd and geologist Angus Miller for a discussion on the life and legacy of James Hutton, the founder of modern geology. We'll explore the background that led to the development of his grand 'Theory of the Earth' and visit the key sites around Scotland that he used to illustrate his ideas. […]
Join us to learn about Sir Charles Lyell, one of the most influential geologists of the 19th century. Lyell was widely credited with establishing geology as a popular and rigorous science. He was known internationally for his bestselling books and travels around Britain, Europe and Eastern North America. It is a life and a world […]
Join us to learn about Sir Charles Lyell, one of the most influential geologists of the 19th century. Lyell was widely credited with establishing geology as a popular and rigorous science. He was known internationally for his bestselling books and travels around Britain, Europe and Eastern North America. It is a life and a world […]
The Port Askaig Formation in Argyll: uncovering the evidence for repeated climatic changes in a Cryogenian glacial sequence Anthony Spencer The Port Askaig Formation (PAF) in the Garvellach Islands and Islay is ~1100m thick and includes 47 diamictites. Many were deposited by grounded ice; a few were ice-rafted. The PAF records 76 climatically-related episodes: 28 […]
The rocky coastline to the south of Siccar Point is one of the finest walks on the east coast of Scotland. Dramatic cliffs of greywacke sandstone plunge to inaccessible beaches, and everywhere you look there is evidence of intense folding and deformation associated with the closure of the Iapetus Ocean. The lonely ruins of Fast […]
The Scottish Geology Trust will be holding our first Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 24 February, 6pm. This is a pivotal moment for the Trust: 2020 was all about establishing the Trust, while 2021 will be the first year where will be trying to make a difference by offering an exciting programme of activities and […]
The North West Highlands UNESCO Global Geopark invites you to an online talk on Scottish fossils from the Cambrian. Dr Frankie Dunn is a palaeontologist and an Early Career Research Fellow at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and Merton College. Frankie’s research focuses on the origin and early evolution of animals and particularly […]
Join James Westland for a virtual field trip to one of the remotest and least visited parts of the Isle of Mull - The Wilderness of Ardmeanach. Starting at Gribun the trip will take you along the coast towards the famous Fossil Tree and will look at how the geology has shaped this dramatic section […]
Scottish palaeontology in the 21st century Tom Challands, University of Edinburgh In 1985 Euan Clarkson from the University of Edinburgh published A brief history of Scottish palaeontology 1834—1984. Nearly 40 years on and Scotland still produces some of the most important fossil finds from anywhere in the world largely due to its richness and diversity […]
Shetland and Orkney, Scotland’s northern archipelagos, have their own unique landscapes and sense of place, largely derived from their geological diversity. However despite their differences, there are many common geological links between the island groups and the Scottish Highlands. We find many of the same rock types but with additional geological riches, and an intense […]
The North West Highlands UNESCO Global Geopark invites you to an online talk where Professor Rob Butler from the School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen takes us on a journey with the nineteenth-century pioneer H.M. Cadell, his fieldwork in Sutherland, the tectonic experiments he made, and how they continue to inspire ideas of how the […]
Join James Westland for a virtual field trip from Lochbuie in south east Mull to Carsaig, following the coastal path. A great area to see igneous geological features and how they affect sedimentary rocks. Great coastal scenery with basalt columns, minor intrusions galore and fossil-rich sediments. Towering cliffs on one side and fantastic sea views […]
Shetland and Orkney, Scotland’s northern archipelagos, have their own unique landscapes and sense of place, largely derived from their geological diversity. However despite their differences, there are many common geological links between the island groups and the Scottish Highlands. We find many of the same rock types but with additional geological riches, and an intense […]
The North West Highlands UNESCO Global Geopark invites you to a A virtual talk by Rob Wilson of St Andrews University. Our climate is changing. Over the coming decades, it is likely that Scotland will get warmer, wetter and stormier. But how much has Scotland warmed in recent decades. How does this current warming compare to […]
The island of Mull (and other islands nearby) are deservedly famous for its geology. From the awesome columns of Staffa and Fingal’s Cave to the world-famous Loch Bà Ring Dyke, there are hundreds of great geological localities to explore. This talk will take a trip through time starting with the ancient Lewisian Gneiss of Iona […]
Join in a chat all about fossils with Dr Katie Strang from Scottish Fossils Instagram Team. Katie is a fossil aficionado and spends a lot of time fossil hunting and exploring the fascinating geodiversity of Scotland. During this live Zoom session, Katie will be providing a short 1-0-1 on fossil hunting in Fife, including an […]
