EDC 11: West Mugdock Quarry, Mugdock Country Park

Grid reference: [NS 55127 76027]

Site type: Artificial quarry works

Site ownership: Not known

Current use: Recreational land

Field surveyor: Sarah Arkley & Luis Albornoz-Parra

Current geological designations: None

Date visited: 6th March 2009

Site map

(Figure 11) West Mugdock Quarry Location Map

Summary description

One of a series of disused sandstone quarries across Drumclog Moor, formerly used for ?building stone. Recorded as an 'old quarry' on the 1922/23 Ordnance Survey map.

The sandstone beds are part of the Douglas Muir Quartz-Conglomerate Member from the basal part of the Lawmuir Formation. This unit is extensively quarried at Douglas Muir Quarry (EDC 23)

Approximately 3–4 m high cliff faces remain, mostly covered in moss and ferns. Thick-bedded (up to 1.5 m), massive sandstone units can be seen. The sandstone has a pinkish colour, is typically coarse- grained, gritty and pebbly, with occasional scattered white & pink quartz pebbles, up to 1.5 cm in diameter, which are generally angular to sub-rounded. Joints through the sandstone are well spaced out, approximately 2–3 m apart. No evidence of any tool marks.

Although only a portion of Mugdock Country Park is within East Dunbartonshire, there is lots of potential here for introducing geology to those that visit. Craigend Visitor Centre is the main information point for the park, although they didn't know anything specifically about the quarry they do have some leaflets which touch on the local geology, which could be developed further. The park also produces some education packs where information on the local geology could be included. Additionally a display of local rocks, how they have influenced the landscape, created wildlife habitats and what they have been used for, e.g. building stones, could be developed. Existing information board near Drumclog car park about the Milngavie Reservoirs are very good, but don't mention anything about the geology.

EDC 11: Stratigraphy and rock types

Age: Lower Carboniferous Formation: Douglas Muir Quartz-Conglomerate Member, Lawmuir Formation

Rock type: Conglomerate

Age: Quaternary Formation: Clippens Peat Formation

Rock type: Peat

Assessment of site value

Access and safety

Aspect/Description

Road access and parking Good access from Drumclog Moor car park at NW end of Mugdock reservoir. 400 m walk along a good track to the north end of the quarry.

Safety of access All within Mugdock Country Park. Well looked after. Quarried area is easily accessible within open woodland; small path goes through the quarried area.

Safety of exposure Quarry faces appear stable and are only a few metres high

Permission to visit Public access to Mugdock Country Park

Current condition Quarry faces are mostly covered in moss and ferns

Current conflicting activities None

Restricting conditions None

Nature of exposure Vertical quarry faces

Culture, heritage & economic

Historic, archaeological & literary associations

None known. Rating: 0.

Aesthetic landscape Part of Drumclog moor, heather moor with scrubby woodland. Rating: 3.

History of earth sciences None known. Rating: 0.

Economic geology Former sandstone quarry, stone was probably used locally for dry-stone walls or possibly as a local building stone. Rating: 3.

EDC 11: Geoscientific merit

EDC 11: West Mugdock Quarry, Mugdock Country Park. Geoscientific merit.

Total Geoscientific merit score 24

Current site value

Community Popular country Park north of Glasgow City. Rating: 9.

Education Typical example of a local sandstone quarry, it's location within the country park should be capitalised on

Fragility and potential use of the site

Fragility None

Potential use School, On-site Interpretation, Geotrail, Multidisciplinary

Geodiversity value

This site is a typical example of the small sandstone quarries which are scattered across East Dunbartonshire, and most likely used for material to build the dry-stone walls which criss-cross the countryside. However, the main value of the site is its location within Mugdock Country Park and the opportunity this opens up for informing large number of visitors about their local geology in general; how it influences the shape of our landscape, creates wildlife habitats, and contains raw materials which attracted people to settle in the area and industries to develop nearby. Rating: 4.

Photographs

(Photo 49) Site map for Mugdock Country Park, located at the visitor centre (northern part of the park).

(Photo 50) Thickly-bedded sandstone units in West Mugdock quarry in the southern part of Mugdock Country Park. Looking S.

(Photo 51) Massive, coarse-grained 'gritty' sandstone containing scattered white and pink rounded quartz pebbles. Typical exposure of the Douglas Muir Quartz Conglomerate Member. Looking S.

(Photo 52) Panorama of the southern part of Mugdock Quarry, showing the main sandstone faces now partially overgrown. The sandstone from this quarry was used to construct buildings in Milngavie. Most towns and villages in the area are likely to have obtained building stone from local quarries. Differences in the sandstones from quarry to quarry have resulted in buildings throughout the district having slightly different character. Today, stone for repairs is often imported from large quarries which is a poor match to the original quarry source. It is becoming increasingly important to record and where possible safeguard the remaining stone resources at historic quarry sites.

(Photo 53) Information board located at the western end of Mugdock Loch, opposite Drumclog Moor car park. Looking SE.

(Photo 54) Close-up of the information board. There is no mention of geology/geomorphology despite this being a primary factor in the location, design and construction of the reservoir.

Bibliography