Strachan, R., Alsop, I., Friend, C. and Miller, S. (Eds.) 2010. A Geological Excursion Guide to the Moine Geology of the Northern Highlands of Scotland. Edinburgh Geological Society, Glasgow Geological Society in association with NMS Enterprises. ISBN: 978-1-905267-33-0.

Copies of EGS geological excursion guides can be purchased on the EGS website: purchase excursion guides.

Moine geology of the Northern Highlands of Scotland

Contents

Excursions

Excursion 1 Ross of Mull

Excursion 2 Fort William to Glenfinnan

Excursion 3 Glenfinnan to Morar

Excursion 4 Invergarry to Kinloch Hourn

Excursion 5 Glen Moriston and Glen Shiel

Excursion 6 West Glenelg and Loch Hourn

Excursion 7 East Glenelg and Loch Duich

Excursion 8 Glen Strathfarrar and Loch Monar

Excursion 9 Loch a' Bhraoin, Braemore and Loch Broom

Excursion 10 South and Central Sutherland

Excursion 11 The Moine Thrust Belt at Loch Eriboll

Excursion 12 Durness and Faraid Head

Excursion 13 North Sutherland

Excursion 14 Great Glen

Full contents

Title page and preliminaries

Summary of the Moine geology of the Northern Highlands of Scotland

Excursion 1 Ross of Mull

Itinerary A. Eastern limb of the Assapol Synform (1)

Locality 1.1 Viewpoint of the regional and local geology.

Locality 1.2 Upper Shiaba Psammite with cross bedding and heavy mineral bands

Locality 1.3 Shiaba Group lithologies; Tertiary intrusions and faulting.

Locality 1.4 Folds within the Lower Shiaba Psammite.

Locality 1.5 F2 sheath folds within the Lower Shiaba Psammite.

Locality 1.6 Sedimentary and tectonic structures within the Upper Shiaba Psammite.

Locality 1.7 Upper Shiaba Psammite cut by Tertiary dolerite.

Itinerary B. Eastern limb of the Assapol Synform (2)

Locality 1.8 Geological viewpoint.

Locality 1.9 S0/S2 relationships within the Ardalanish Striped and Banded Formation.

Locality 1.10 Scoor Pelitic Gneiss.

Locality 1.11 S0/S2 relationships within the Scoor Pelitic Gneiss; Tertiary intrusion.

Locality 1.12 Top of the Lagan Mor Formation.

Locality 1.13 Transition from the Lagan Mor Formation into the Upper Shiaba Psammite.

Locality 1.14 F2/F3 relationships within the Ardalanish Striped and Banded Formation on the eastern limb of the F3 Assapol Synform.

Itinerary C. Structure and lithologies within the Ardalanish Striped and Banded Formation, western linb of the Assapol Synform

Locality 1.15 Regional and contact metamorphism of the Assapol Group Moine.

Locality 1.16 Migmatitic fabrics and polyphase folds.

Locality 1.17 Garnetiferous amphibolites.

Locality 1.18 Relationships between amphibolites and host metasediments.

Locality 1.19 East verging F3 folds.

Locality 1.20 F3 folds.

Itinerary D. Western limb and core of the Assapol Synform

Locality 1.21 Hinge and eastern limb of F3 antiform.

Locality 1.22 Discordant amphibolite and F2/F3 structures.

Locality 1.23 Hinge zone of the F3 Assapol Synform.

Locality 1.24 Contact metamorphic phenomena within the aureole of the Ross of Mull Granite. Distance is less than 1km, taking c.1 hour.

Locality 1.25 Margin of the Ross of Mull Granite. Distance from Ardalanish and return is c.4km, taking 3 hours.

Excursion 2 Fort William to Glenfinnan

Locality 2.1 Loch Eil shore section. Loch Eil Psammite intruded by amphibolites.

Locality 2.2 Fassfern. Sedimentary structures within the Druim Fada Quartzite; microdiorite intrusions within the Loch Eil Psammite.

Locality 2.3 Loch Eil road section. Calc silicates in Loch Eil Psammite; late granite veins.

Locality 2.4 Kinlocheil. Psammites and hornblende schists of the Loch Eil Group; pelitic gneisses of the Glenfinnan Group.

Locality 2.5 Callop road section. Flat lying Ardgour Granite Gneiss with S2 fabric and quartzofeldspathic lits; microdiorite sheet; D2 folds in flat belt.

Locality 2.6 Craigag road section. Amphibolites and ptygmatic folds in granitic gneiss.

Locality 2.7 Allt na Criche road section. Low strain zone in centre of granitic gneiss sheet.

Locality 2.8 Glenfinnan road section. Loch Quoich Line; minor intrusions; western margin of the granitic gneiss; steep belt.

Locality 2.9 Glenfinnan road section. Loch Eil Group psammites within the steep belt.

Excursion 3 Glenfinnan to Morar

High grade rocks of the 'vertical' belt

Locality 3.1 The Muidhe. Glenfinnan Group psammites, pelites and migmatites; pegmatites; microdiorite sheets.

Locality 3.2 The Loch Eilt Antiform eastern limb. Glenfinnan Group pelites; Morar Group psammites and pelites; Sgurr Beag Thrust Zone.

Locality 3.3 Morarian (= Knoydartian) pegmatites at Loch Eilt

Locality 3.4 The Glenshian Synform and the Sgurr Beag Thrust

Western margin of the vertical belt and low grade rocks of the western 'flat' belt

Locality 3.5 The western limb of the Glenshian Synform

Locality 3.6 The Ardnish Synform

Locality 3.7 The Arnipol Slide Zone

Locality 3.8 The Upper Morar Psammite: Rhue peninsula

Locality 3.9 The Upper Morar Psammite: Morar Bay

Excursion 4 Invergarry to Kinloch Hourn

Loch Garry to Loch Quoich dam

Locality 4.1 Garry Quarry

Locality 4.2 'Coir' an t Seasgaich

Locality 4.3 Quoich dam spillway

Locality 4.4 Quoich Quarry

Loch Quoich shore section</p>

Locality 4.5 Loch Quoich shore section

Locality 4.6 Quoich Bridge

Locality 4.7 Coire Shubh road section

Locality 4.8 Coire Shubh Beag

Locality 4.9 Kinloch Hourn to Skiary

Excursion 5 Glen Moriston and Glen Shiel

Glen Moriston

Locality 5.1 A887 road cutting.

Locality 5.2 A887 road cutting

Locality 5.3 Large quarry to the north of the Cluanie dam

Locality 5.4 Loch Cluanie shoreline

Glen Sheil

Locality 5.5 Glen Shiel

Locality 5.6 Glen Shiel

Excursion 6 West Glenelg and Loch Hourn

West Glenelg

Locality 6.1 North Glenelg Bay

Locality 6.2 Glenelg village

Locality 6.3 Sandaig

Loch Hourn region

Locality 6.4 Road section west of Arnisdale

Locality 6.5 Crudh 'Ard

Locality 6.6 Corran to Rudha Camas na Caillin

Locality 6.7 Loch Hourn

Excursion 7 East Glenelg and Loch Duich

East Glenelg

Locality 7.1 North of Glen More

Locality 7.2 Between Glen More and Glean Beag

Loch Duich

Locality 7.3 Eilean Donan Castle

Locality 7.4 Carr Brae to Loch a' Mhuilinn

Locality 7.5 Loch Duich roadside

Locality 7.6 Loch Duich roadside

Locality 7.7 Loch Duich lochside

Excursion 8 Glen Strathfarrar and Loch Monar

Locality 8.1 Roadside just NE of North dam.

Locality 8.2 Hillside just NE of North dam.

Locality 8.3 Glacial pavement immediately west of South dam.

Locality 8.4 Roadside outcrops west of the road.

Locality 8.5 South of the Upper Power Station.

Locality 8.6 Lakeside outcrops west of Monar Lodge.

Locality 8.7 River section of the Garbh Uisge.

Locality 8.8 Moine Lewisian contact north of Inchvuilt

Excursion 9 Loch a' Bhraoin, Braemore and Loch Broom

The Sgurr Beag Thrust section

Locality 9.1 Allt Leacach

Locality 9.2 Allt Breabaig

Option A. Meall an t Sithe

Locality 9.3 Meall an t Sithe

Locality 9.4 Meall Dubh

Locality 9.5 Allt Teanga nan Caiseachan

Locality 9.6 Loch an Nid

Option B. Corrieshalloch Gorge and Loch Broom

Locality 9.7 The Corrieshalloch Gorge

Locality 9.8 Loch Broom

Locality 9.9 Loch Broom shoreline

Locality 9.10 The Moine mylonites

Excursion 10 South and Central Sutherland

South Sutherland

Locality 10.1 Oykell Bridge

Locality 10.2 Glen Oykell

Locality 10.3 Airde of Shin

Locality 10.4 Creich Peninsula

Central Sutherland

Locality 10.5 Vagastie Bridge

Locality 10.6 Loch Naver

Excursion 11 The Moine Thrust Belt at Loch Eriboll

Transect 1: South Eriboll

Transect 2: Arnaboll

Transect 3: Kempie

Transect 4: Creagan Road

Excursion 12 Durness and Faraid Head

Durness

Locality 12.1 Sango Sands, Durness

Faraid Head

Locality 12.2 Faraid Head

Excursion 13 North Sutherland

The Melness area

Locality 13.1 The Melness area

South and east side of Tongue Bay

Locality 13.2 Kinloch Broch

Locality 13.3 Ribigill

Locality 13.4 Coldbackie Bay

Locality 13.5 Sleteil & Skullomie Harbour

Loch Cormaic and Borgie peat cuts

Locality 13.6 Loch Cormaic

Locality 13.7 Borgie peat cuts

Torrisdale Bay

Locality 13.8 Torrisdale Bay

Craig Ruadh to Glaisgeo

Locality 13.9 Creag Ruadh

Locality 13.10 Farr Bay

Locality 13.11 Glaisgeo

Swordly Bay, Kirtomy Bay and Cnoc Mor

Locality 13.12 Swordly Bay

Locality 13.13 Kirtomy Bay

Locality 13.14 Cnoc Mor

Port Mor to Portskerra

Locality 13.15 Port Mor

Locality 13.16 Strathy road sections

Locality 13.17 Strathy Point

Locality 13.18 Portskerra

Excursion 14 Great Glen

Locality 14.1 Torcastle, River Lochy: northern outcrop

Locality 14.2 Torcastle, River Lochy: southern outcrop

Locality 14.3 View over Loch Lochy towards the Clunes Tonalite

Locality 14.4 Loch Lochy shoreline

Locality 14.5 Loch Oich shoreline

Locality 14.6 Kilfinnan Burn

Locality 14.7 Rosemarkie

References

Figures