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| Knockan Crag
Older metamorphosed Moine sediments
lying on younger Durness limestone
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Having a resident (and now qualified!!) geologist in the house (for a few months, at least) means that we get our own geology tours - and where could be better than the North West Highlands.
So, despite the weather forecast, we packed our tents and other assorted gear, into the car and headed out for a weekend of walking and geologising
Here are a few pictures...
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| Lochan an Ais from Knockan Crag |
We started off with a walk around Knockan Crag...
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| Knockan Crag Stratigraphy of the NW highlands. From bottom to top Lewisian Gneiss (Can’t actually see it), Torridonian Sandstone, Basal Quartzite, Pipe Rock showing worm burrows, Fucoid beds, Salterella Grit, Durness limestones and then Moine sediments |
Followed by lunch and a look around the excellent new North West Highland Geopark Visitor Centre at The Rock Stop at Kylesku.
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| Over Lochan an Ais - Cul Beag, Stac Pollaidh and Cul Mor from Knockan Crag |
Before heading further north to Scourie where we pitched up at the campsite above the shore.
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| Scourie Bay from by the cemetary |
The afternoon was filled by a windswept and interesting (very interesting) yomp around Scourie More, with Freddie louping about from rock to rock, hammer in hand, regaling us with the details of the mega history of the area...
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| Scourie Bay and Handa Island Scourie Dyke, the Graveyard Dyke – part of the Scourie Dyke Swarm which were injected into the Lewisian Gneisses 2.4 billion years ago |
What a place...
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| North East from Scourie Scourie Dyke, the Graveyard Dyke – more easily weathered than the Lewisian gneiss as the basalt is more susceptible to chemical weathering from the sea |
What views...
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| Scourie Bay and village from Scourie More - can see Scourie Dyke |
What a day...
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| Freddie looks out over Scourie Bay to Handa Island |
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| Scourie More and Scourie Bay |
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| Looking North East over Scourie Bay from Scourie More |
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| North from Scourie More |
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| Summit of Scourie More - views east to the village |
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| Handa Island from Scourie More |
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| Jim - looking west over Eilean a'Bhuic from Scourie More |
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| Old Man of Stoer from Scourie More |
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| Looking south from Rubha Shios on Scourie More |
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| Camas an Lochain - Scourie More |
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| Flotsam and Jetsam sculpture at the head of Camas an Lochain, Scourie More |
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| Freddie and Jim - Kind of a sort of a path on Scourie More |
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| Pegmatite vein in the Lewisian Gneiss, Megacrystic, containing very large crystals of quartz, feldspar and biotite mica (Up to several 10s of cm in some cases). Age is 2.5 billion years and appears to be a unique event in the Lewisian Gneiss. - Scourie More |
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| Jim - Scourie More |
More info about the geology of the area can be found at http://www.earth.ox.ac.uk/~oesis/nws/loc-scourie.html
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| Big garnet in rock at Scourie More |
And it stayed dry!
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| Two tents with a view at Scourie Campsite |
After a cuppa we headed north for a bit of a car tour of the geological highlights. It's getting dark here a bit earlier now...
And the forecast rain blew in with a vengeance.
Supper was had at at the Sango Sands Oasis Restaurant - unfortunately they don't know the difference between meat and vegetarian lasagne!
A wet and windy night followed. There's nothing better than being snuggled up warm and dry in a tent with a bit of a storm outside.
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| Sunrise over Scourie |
We had a sunrise...
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| Pairc a'Chladaich and Scourie Bay on a damp Sunday morning |
But then the rain came down again. Rafie got his walk (and we got a good soaking), we all crammed into the bigger tent for breakfast, we wrapped up our wet kit and we headed south west...
We'll be back.
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| North East from Scourie Bay with Handa Island in the distance |
