Scotland’s iconic landscapes and rugged coastlines have been shaped by the elements over countless millennia. The rocks beneath our feet hold the secrets of our planet’s past. They are our foundation, influencing our culture and legends, and provide endless opportunities for enjoyment and discovery. The Scottish Geology Festival 2022 will tell the stories of Scotland’s […]
Montrose has long been famous for its agates. With ease of travel and more leisure time today many sites are in danger of being over-collected. However, we are fortunate that there is still scope for anyone to collect agate pebbles from our beaches each year after winter storms have eroded more agates from their nesting […]
This event has been rescheduled from Monday 19th September. Join the curators of Earth Systems at National Museums Scotland for a behind the scenes tour of the rock, mineral, meteorite and gemstone collections stored at the National Museums Collection Center. See fantastic mineral specimens from some of Scotland’s famous localities, examples of classic Scottish rock […]
This online talk by Dr Taija Torvela takes you on a 200-year journey on gold exploration in Scotland. Gold occurrences in Scotland are widespread and have been well known for centuries. Most gold was found in stream sediments but some gold and silver were also extracted as by-products from mining of other ores, particularly lead. The […]
Part of the RSGS Inspiring People talks programme. Colin Ballantyne - Scotland’s Mountain Landscapes: A Geomorphological Odyssey Scotland’s mountain landscapes are remarkably diverse, encompassing the isolated sandstone summits of the far north-west, the serrated ridges of Skye, the tor-studded granite plateaux of the Cairngorms, and the rolling hills of the Southern Uplands. Born on ancient […]
The rocks around Edinburgh tell a story of changing conditions over the last 500 million years. We will explore the volcanic activity that has created igneous rock and discover how different environments in the past have created a range of sedimentary rocks, many of which have been used by people. Tuesdays from 27th September 2022 […]
Due to illness, this online talk has been cancelled. We're sorry for the disappointment caused. Scotland's fossil record seems to come up with exceptional records all the time. We have the oldest terrestrial ecosystem (Rhynie Chert), possibly the first air-breathing animal on land (Pneumodesmus), the oldest fossil embryos (fossil fish from Orkney), some of the […]
Part of the RSGS Inspiring People talks programme. Colin Ballantyne - Scotland’s Mountain Landscapes: A Geomorphological Odyssey Scotland’s mountain landscapes are remarkably diverse, encompassing the isolated sandstone summits of the far north-west, the serrated ridges of Skye, the tor-studded granite plateaux of the Cairngorms, and the rolling hills of the Southern Uplands. Born on ancient […]
Edinburgh's landscape is dominated by the Seven Hills, each with a hard core of igneous rock that has been altered and eroded over millions of years by natural forces and more recently by human activity. We will visit each of the hills to explore what they tell us about the past, and how they contribute […]
Join geologists for a boat trip up the Angus Coast, from Arbroath to Elephant Rock and back! You'll see some spectacular views of the Devonian Old Red Sandstone and find out about the geological processes that lead to its formation. Tickets are £25 per person. Spaces limited so booking is essential. To book please contact […]
What better way to celebrate the Scottish Geology Festival 2022 than Geo-Natter?! Organised by the Geological Society of Glasgow, Geo-Natter is held every second Wednesday from 1:30 - 3pm at Kelvin Hall, Glasgow. These informal meets are the perfect opportunity to meet like-minded rock enthusiasts and chat all things geological and palaeontological! You can bring […]
Geology is a broad subject covering the spectrum of scale, from the whole planet down to a grain of sand and even into the atomic in the ages of rocks and minerals. This course takes us from Earth’s cosmic neighbourhood to the planet’s interior and back up on to its surface via plate tectonics, volcanism, […]
Read any travel blog or guide book about Arran, and you are likely to see the island described as "Scotland in Miniature". Like all good tourist slogans, this quickly becomes rather twee and irritating, but how accurate is it? Dr Bob Gooday takes us through half a billion years of Arran's geological history and its' […]
Part of the RSGS Inspiring People talks programme. Colin Ballantyne - Scotland’s Mountain Landscapes: A Geomorphological Odyssey Scotland’s mountain landscapes are remarkably diverse, encompassing the isolated sandstone summits of the far north-west, the serrated ridges of Skye, the tor-studded granite plateaux of the Cairngorms, and the rolling hills of the Southern Uplands. Born on ancient […]
Hugh Miller, stonemason, pioneer geologist and fossil-hunter, ground-breaking popular science writer, folklorist, crusading newspaper editor and man of faith, spent the last years of his life in Portobello. In this session Larissa Reid, freelance science writer, poet and member of The Friends of Hugh Miller, and Elsa Panciroli, Highland palaeontologist and author of Beasts Before Us and The […]
All of Scotland's geological societies, and the Northwest Highlands UNESCO Global Geopark, offer winter programmes of lectures. These are usually open to non-members, with a mix of in-person and online events, often recorded for later viewing. Something for everyone, wherever you are! Follow the links below to find out more ... Edinburgh Geological Society programme […]
As part of this year's Scottish Geology Festival, the Scottish Deer Centre will be holding a rock, mineral and fossil weekend. In conjunction with the Scottish Geology Trust, a wide range of examples of what can be found in Scotland will be displayed, much of it from local sources. Fossils older than dinosaurs, agates from […]
As part of this year's Scottish Geology Festival, the Scottish Deer Centre will be holding a rock, mineral and fossil weekend. In conjunction with the Scottish Geology Trust, a wide range of examples of what can be found in Scotland will be displayed, much of it from local sources. Fossils older than dinosaurs, agates from […]
First in a series of two walks. Join an expert geologist and a Ranger on a longer 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). Stay safe: This event includes a strenuous […]
As part of the Scottish Geology Festival 2022 you are invited to come along to The Hub to find out more about the shifting shingle of Kingston from Geology experts! This is a free drop in event where there will be activities for all ages. This event is organised by the Kingston and Garmouth Community […]
It’s estimated that 6,000 meteorites hit the Earth each year, but only 4 have ever fallen in Scotland. Join Peter Davidson, Senior Curator of Minerals at National Museums Scotland, for an exploration of the stories behind these meteorites, where and how they were found, and how you might recognise a meteorite of your own! Free, […]
Our public lecture will explore the amazing variety of fossils in Scotland, covering hundreds of millions of years of evolution from the corals and sharks of the Carboniferous to the dinosaurs and pterosaurs of Skye. Our expert panel of palaeontologists will guide you through the history of life recorded in Scotland’s sedimentary rocks with time […]
Join Scottish Geology Trust Trustee Dr Katie Strang for a guided walk along the coast near Limekilns village in West Fife! The Carboniferous sediments exposed on the shore east of the village of Limekilns were deposited around 330 million years ago when Scotland lay much closer to the equator and experienced a hot and humid […]
Lapidary is the art and craft of cutting, shaping and polishing rough stones or minerals and turning them into beautiful creations that can be used as jewellery or ornaments. Founded in 1958, in the oldest Club of its type in Britain, our aim is to 'encourage an interest in natural minerals and the craftsmanship related […]
Join us at Hugh Miller’s Birthplace Cottage this October as we celebrate the life and legacy of Cromarty’s most famous resident on his 220th birthday! Fossil hunter, folklorist, man of faith, stonemason, geologist, editor, writer and social justice campaigner – Hugh Miller was one of the great Scots of the 19th century. His quests and […]
Second 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. Stay […]
Come along to Stonehaven for this wheelchair-accessible beach pebble event, where geologists will be on hand to help you learn about the exciting stories that beach pebbles can tell us. Can you find evidence of a violent volcanic eruption? What about pebbles that started off as river sediment but were heated up and squashed so […]
One hundred thousand years in the life of Earth’s magnetic field Cathy Constable, Institute of Geophysics & Planetary Physics, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego The geological record documenting the existence of Earth’s magnetic field extends several billion years in the past, but it is only for more recent times that it […]
Fossil Grove in Victoria Park, Glasgow houses a unique collection of fossil trees, formed 330 million years ago. Marvel at this piece of ancient history in the beautiful surroundings of Victoria Park. A guided tour will take you through of the interior of the Fossil Grove building to view the 330 million year old trees. […]
The International Union of Geological Sciences has launched a list of the First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites. An IUGS Geological Heritage Site is a key place with geological elements and/or processes of scientific international relevance, used as a reference, and/or with a substantial contribution to the development of geological sciences through history. Two geological […]
