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 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 14 Great Glen
Full contents
Summary of the Moine geology of the Northern Highlands of Scotland
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
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