MacGregor, A. R. Third Edition. 1996. Fife and Angus geology: an excursion guide. Edinburgh: The Pentland Press.

Figures, plates, tables and maps

Figures

(Figure 1) The Lomond Hills seen from the Bow of Fife. The peaks are the eroded remnants of two Carboniferous–Permian volcanic necks now standing above the general level of the Midland Valley Sill which forms the marked scarp beneath the summit of the West Lomond on the right. The Howe of Fife in the foreground is covered by fluvioglacial deposits overlying horizontal Upper Old Red Sandstone sediments.

(Figure 2) Section extending from the Highlands south-eastwards to the coast at Arbroath. After Lyell's Elements of Geology (1838, p.99). 1 = red marl or shale, 2 = red sandstone, 3 = conglomerate, 4 = grey paving stone, etc., a = newer deposits in horizontal beds. Most of the section comprises formations of the Lower Old Red Sandstone, but the horizontal beds at Arbroath belong to the unconformable Upper Old Red Sandstone, while the clay-slate at the NW end of the section is part of the Dalradian lying beyond the Highland Boundary Fault, not yet recognised in 1838.

(Figure 3) Marginal drainage channel, Walton Hill, Cupar, formed by meltwater flowing eastwards at the margin of Stratheden ice during the retreat stages of the Late Devensian ice sheet.

(Figure 4) Upper Old Red Sandstone conglomerate and sandstone resting unconformably on south-east-dipping Arbroath Sandstone of the Garvock Group, Lower Old Red Sandstone. N end of Arbroath Promenade.

(Figure 5) Garron Point and Craigeven Bay, Stonehaven. The rocks in the foreground and on the point in the distance are largely sheared spilitic lavas belonging to the Highland Border Complex. The pinnacle left of centre is composed of carbonated serpentine 'fault rock' on the line of the Highland Boundary Fault. To the left are slightly metamorphosed greywackes of the Dalradian Southern Highland Group.

(Figure 6) Diagrammatic section of some of the rocks in the North Esk (after Pringle, 1942, Fig.1). Length of section = 365 m. 1 = Jasper and Greenrock 'Series', 2 = Margie 'Series', 3 = Dalradian Glenlethnot Grits, a = greenstones, b = phyllites, c = greenstone conglomerate, e = sheared gritty rock, f = platy quartzitic sandstone, g = gritty grey shales, h = black shales, i = Margie Limestone, F = faults. The position of the North Esk Fault is also marked.

(Figure 7) The flat fields are the site of a former glacial lake near Ceres, seen from Blebo Hole, Pitscottie.

(Figure 8) Saddleback Anticline, Kinkell Braes, St Andrews. The ridges are composed of sandstones, one of which, on the right limb of the fold, is cut by a small fault.

(Figure 9) The Rock and Spindle, Kinkell Braes, St Andrews. The radiating spokes of the 'spindle' are of columnar-jointed basalt; the tall 'rock' is of xenolithic basalt. The cliffs and stack in the background are composed of bedded tuff, all lying within the Rock and Spindle Vent.

(Figure 10) The Craigduff Dome seen from the cliffs of the Kinkell Braes, St Andrews. In this structure the Carboniferous sandstones dip outwards in all directions at 18–20°.

(Figure 11) The well developed sedimentary 'cycle' at the horizon of the Lower Ardross Limestone between Pittenweem and St Monans. Sandstone at the base of the cyde forms the ridge on the right, the Ardross Limestone the ridge near the centre and the sandstone at the base of the next cycle is on the left.

(Figure 12) The St Monans Neck seen across the St Monans Burn. The level wave-cut platform is underlain by tuff, while the trench marks the site of a dyke-like vent intrusion. In the background are sea stacks of tuff, dark, and sandstone beyond the neck, light in colour.

(Figure 13) The Ardross Fault, running directly away from the observer, separates dark tuffs within the Coalyard Hill Neck on the left from steeply dipping Carboniferous sediments on the right. In the background are the ruins of Newark Castle.

(Figure 14) Kincraig Neck, Elie, seen from the golf course. Notice the well bedded tuff dipping towards Centre 1 within the neck. The dark distant cliff is columnar-jointed basalt, also within the neck.

(Figure 15) The raised beaches on Kincraig Hill, Elie seen from Shell Bay. These lie at about 4, 11.5, 22 and 24.5 m OD and mark stages of stillstand during isostatic uplift of the area following deglaciation.

(Figure 16) The East Lomond seen from above Hanging Myre Farm. The summit is composed of a very late Carboniferous to early Permian olivine-dolerite volcanic plug, while the shoulder on the left comprises agglomerate.

(Figure 17) Bishop Hill, Loch Leven from Balnethill farm. The summit is capped by quartz-dolerite of the Midland Valley Sill. The steep face is composed of Carboniferous sediments passing down into sediments of the Stratheden Group. Kinnesswood Row is the gully on the right.

(Figure 18) Clatteringwell Quarry, Bishop Hill. The Charlestown Main Limestone, normally an alternation of limestone and shales as seen in the foreground, is increased in thickness by 5 m on account of the massive algal reef seen in the cliff in the background.

(Figure 19) Seafield Tower, Kirkcaldy. This stands on a 15 m thick sandstone. Beneath this lies a sequence of shales and limestones, in particular the Seafield Tower Limestone which forms the conspicuous pale ridge in the foreground.

(Figure 20) Minor thrusting in the Middle Kinniny Limestone, Seafield shore, Kirkaldy. Offshore the dark rocks, the East Vows, are part of a doletite sill.

Plates

(Plate 1) Conglomerate and cross-bedded sandstone, Gannochy Formation, Strathmore Group, Lower Old Red Sandstone; Loups Bridge, Edzell. Excursion 2, Location 3. (Photo J. A. Weir)

(Plate 2) Holoptychius sp. from the Dura Den Formation, Stratheden Group, Upper Old Red Sandstone. Excursion 8, Location 8. This specimen has been carefully cleaned for display. (Pocket knife 7 cm long) (Photo N. Mackie).

(Plate 3) Algal stromatolites and oncolites in Limestone IX of the Randerston Limestones, Strathclyde Group, Carboniferous; Randerston. Excursion 11, Location 1. (Photo J. A. Weir).

(Plate 4) Basalt dyke cutting the tuffs of the Ardross Neck, Elie. The tuff comprises almost exclusively igneous fragments; the dyke contains anorthoclase xenocrysts.

(Plate 5) Bedded tuffs, Elie Ness Neck, Elie. The tuff comprises blocks of basalt and older tuff in which are scattered aggregates and crystals of pyroxene and amphibole and, very rarely, pyrope garnet or 'Elie Ruby'. Excursion 14, Location 8.

(Plate 6) Columnar-jointed basalt in the main plug, Kincraig Neck, Elie. The wave-cut platform in the foreground truncates bedded tuff dipping towards Centre 2 within the neck. Excursion 15, Location 8. (Geological Survey Photo, Crown Copyright Reserved).

Tables

(Table 1) Stratigraphic succession for the Fife and Angus.

(Table 2) Dalradian evolution (After Rogers et al. 1989 and Harte et al. 1984).

(Table 3) Correlation table for the Old Red Sandstone of Kincardineshire, Tayside and Fife.

(Table 4) Correlation table for the Carboniferous of Fife.

(Table 5) Carboniferous rocks of Fife.

(Table 6) Limestones of the Lower Limestone Group in Fife and their correlation.

(Table 7) Late-glacial and Postglacial succession of Fife and Tayside.

(Table 8) Dundee Tide Table.

Maps

(Map 1) Excursion location map.

(Map 2) Simplified geological map of Fife.

(Map 3) Arbroath and Crawton

(Map 4) Stonehaven.

(Map 5) River North Esk, Edzell.

(Map 6) Metamorphic zones, Glen Esk.

(Map 7) Dundee and Perth district.

(Map 8) Comrie district.

(Map 9) Part of the Comrie Igneous Complex

(Map 10) Wormit coast.

(Map 11) Glacial geology, St Fort–Leuchars.

(Map 12) North Fife Hills.

(Map 13) Drumcarrow - Dura Den.

(Map 14) Kinkell Braes, St Andrews.

(Map 15) Rock and Spindle–Craigduff, St Andrews.

(Map 16) Kingsbarns–Randerston.

(Map 17) Pittenweem–St Monans

(Map 18) St Monans–Ardross.

(Map 19) Ardross–Elie Harbour.

(Map 20) Kincraig–Chapel Ness, Elie.

(Map 21) East Lomond.

(Map 22) Bishop Hill.

(Map 23) Kinghorn–Kirkcaldy.