Scottish Geologist
That Girl That Makes Videos About Rocks
Welcome to Scottish Geologist’s website - the home of “That Girl That Makes Videos about rocks”.
I’m Luisa - a Glasgow-trained geologist who ditched the engineering world after nine years to follow my dream of, well… talking about rocks for a living. And it worked! Now I Make funny, Bite-sized geology videos on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook (@scottishgeologist) where more than 600K rock fans follow along.
I started making videos about rocks in March 2023 because I felt like something was seriously missing from social media: a proper appreciation for Scotland’s incredible geological landscapes. So I set out to fix that - one silly, educational video at a time.
As my online community grew, I wanted to take what I do on camera and bring it outdoors. That’s why I created Scot Rock Walks - Scottish Geology Tours ranging from short local walks to full-day and multi-day adventures across Scotland.
Come and explore the birthplace of modern geology with me!
Scot Rock Walks -
Scottish Geology Tours
Want to explore Scotland’s geology with me? interested in learning about the geological history of Scotland and the different rock types you can find?
Come along and explore Scotland’s geology today!!
Upcoming Afternoon Geology Tours
Explore the captivating geology north of Kinghorn, where ancient landscapes and striking rock formations reveal Scotland’s rich geological history. This guided tour takes you along the scenic coastline, offering a unique opportunity to uncover millions of years of Earths history and learn about the basic geology of Fife.
Highlights of the Tour
Rock Formations and Layers: Discover sedimentary rock layers formed during the Carboniferous period - 330 million years ago showcasing intricate patterns and evidence of ancient environments, including fossils of marine creatures and plant life.
Basalt Columns, pillows and Volcanism: Marvel at basalt formations shaped by volcanic activity millions of years ago, offering insights into Scotland’s fiery geological past.
Hydrothermal veins, agates and potentially even geodes: learn about how hot hydrothermal fluids running through rocks can precipitate out beautiful minerals forming mineral veins, amygdale’s, geodes and agates.
Marine fossils: learn about the marine creatures that lived in the waters during this period of time and even see if you can find some to take home with you.
Tour Details
Date: 09/05/2026
Time: 12:00-14:00
Duration: Approximately 2 hours
Difficulty Level: Moderate (involves some walking on uneven terrain)
What to Bring: Comfortable footwear, weather-appropriate clothing, and a camera to capture stunning views.
Pick up from Glasgow available for £40 - the bus will leave at 10:45 from outside Costa coffee, 50 George square, Glasgow, G2 1EH.
Or meet us there for £25 at the following location at 12:00 - Kinghorn train station (parking is available on harbour Rd or Nethergate car park https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZdoxmESiEfZd6qe66?g_st=ic
Tour information sheet will be sent out a few days before hand.
Whether you’re a geology enthusiast or simply curious about Scotland’s natural heritage, this tour promises an unforgettable journey through time and terrain. Book your adventure today and unearth the secrets of the Earth north of Kinghorn!
Fire, Coal & Magma: A Geology Tour from Ardrossan to Saltcoats with @ScottishGeologist
Step onto one of Scotland’s most geologically rich coastlines with @ScottishGeologist on this immersive field tour from Ardrossan to Saltcoats. This stretch of shore is a world-class natural classroom, showcasing volcanoes, tropical weathering, fossil forests, and spectacular magma intrusions—all within a walkable coastal section.
What to Expect
🌋 Ancient Volcanoes & Tropical Landscapes
Begin near Saltcoats where you’ll encounter the Troon Volcanic Member, formed by basaltic eruptions ~320 to 330 million years ago.
Analyse and learn about different igneous textures and how to identify them within volcanic igneous rocks
See how some of these lavas were later deeply weathered in a humid tropical climate, producing the rare Ayrshire Bauxitic Clay Member.
Learn how Scotland once sat near the equator, with rainforests, volcanoes, and intense chemical weathering and the difference between sandstone, mudstone, siltstone, limestone and coal.
🪨 The Saltcoats Main Sill – The Molten magma system
Explore one of the UK’s finest examples of a composite sill, around 18 m thick, formed by multiple pulses of magma.
Walk through its four distinct units:
Flow-banded analcime-dolerite (teschenite)
Biotite-rich dolerite with segregation veins (“lugarite”)
A thick central picrite (olivine-rich magma)
Altered lower dolerite (“white trap”)
See how magma interacted with surrounding rocks—baking coal into natural coke and altering margins with hydrothermal fluids.
🔥 Coal, Heat & Magma Interaction
Stand at the contact where the sill intruded the Kilwinning Main Coal seam.
See how heat transformed coal into columnar coke and released fluids that altered the intrusion.
Discover how geology directly records industrial processes before humans even mined the coal
🧭 Multiple Intrusions:
A layered sill with picrite sandwiched between dolerites
Historically quarried for “osmond stone” used in ovens
🌋 Younger Volcanic Activity (Palaeogene Dykes)
See NW-trending basaltic and andesitic dykes cutting through older rocks.
These formed during the opening of the North Atlantic (~60 million years ago).
Understand how Scotland was stretched and fractured during continental breakup.
🌊 Reading the Coastline
Walk along the intertidal zone where the sea reveals perfect cross-sections through the geology.
Observe how different rock types control coastal shape, erosion, and headland formation.
See how resistant igneous rocks form promontories, while softer sediments erode into bays.
👣 Hands-On Field Geology
Identify rock types: basalt, dolerite, picrite, sedimentary units.
Trace intrusion contacts and chilled margins.
Interpret the sequence of magma pulses and reconstruct the volcanic system.
Sketch the sill structure and build a geological timeline from field evidence.
Who Should Attend?
Perfect for general public, students, geology enthusiasts, and fossil lovers
Ideal for those wanting to see textbook igneous geology in the field
A must-visit for anyone interested in volcanoes, coal geology, or Scottish geological history
Event Details
📍 Location: Ardrossan to Saltcoats Coast, North Ayrshire
📌 Meeting point:
🗓️ Date: Sunday 10th May 2026 12:00-14:00. Pick up from Glasgow will be at 10:30
⏰ Duration: 2 to 3 hours
🎟️ Price: £25pp meet us there. Transport to/from Glasgow - £45pp
🥾 Terrain: Coastal foreshore, uneven rock platforms (tide-dependent) - Tour has been planned during low tide. 2 to 3km walk.
Why This Tour is Special
This is one of Scotland’s most important geological sites, where you can see:
Volcanoes → tropical weathering → coal swamps → magma intrusions → Atlantic rifting
…all recorded in one continuous section of coastline.
With @ScottishGeologist, you won’t just see the rocks—you’ll decode them like a geologist in the field.
Book Your Ardrossan–Saltcoats Geology Tour
🌋 Ancient volcanoes
🔥 Magma intrusions
🌳 Fossil forests
🪨 Layered sills
This coastline doesn’t just show geology—it tells a complete story of Scotland’s past.
Ancient Seas & Fossil Reefs: A Geology Tour of Barns Ness with @ScottishGeologist
Join @ScottishGeologist for a beautifully focused coastal geology tour at Barns Ness, one of the best places in Scotland to explore the Lower Limestone Formation and step into a tropical sea from 340 million years ago. This is a fossil-rich site where the story is all about life, sedimentation, and changing environments—perfectly exposed across wide, accessible rock platforms.
What to Expect
🪨 The Lower Limestone Formation
Walk across well-exposed layers of the Lower Limestone Formation (Carboniferous).
See alternating beds of limestone, shale, and sandstone, recording repeated shifts between marine and coastal environments.
Learn how these cycles reflect changing sea levels, with warm shallow seas advancing and retreating over time.
🦴 Fossils from a Tropical Sea
Discover an abundance of marine fossils, including:
Corals 🪸
Crinoid fragments (sea lilies)
Brachiopods and bivalves
Learn how these organisms lived in clear, shallow, warm waters, very different from Scotland today.
Understand how fossil assemblages help geologists reconstruct ancient ecosystems.
🌊 Limestone Beds & Fossil Horizons
Identify distinct fossil-rich limestone layers, often packed with broken shells and skeletal debris.
See how quieter periods allowed fine muds to settle, forming shales between limestone beds.
Learn to recognise bedding planes and fossil concentrations that mark key environmental changes.
🏝️ Changing Environments Through Time
Reconstruct the Carboniferous landscape:
Tropical seas → lagoons → coastal plains → back to marine conditionsUnderstand how these repeating conditions created the layered geology seen today.
Link these cycles to global sea-level change and tectonic activity.
🌊 Coastal Exposure & Modern Processes
Walk across expansive wave-cut platforms, where the sea has revealed continuous rock layers.
See how erosion naturally “cuts” through the geology, exposing fossils and bedding structures.
Observe how modern coastal processes continue to shape and reveal the site.
👣 Hands-On Fossil & Rock Exploration
Learn how to spot fossils in the field and identify key fossil groups.
Practice reading sedimentary layers and environmental changes.
Try simple field sketches to capture fossil beds and rock sequences.
Who Should Attend?
Perfect for fossil lovers, families, students, and beginners, geology enthusiasts
Ideal if you want a clear, accessible introduction to sedimentary geology
Great for anyone interested in ancient life and past environments
Event Details
📍 Location: Barns Ness, near Dunbar, East Lothian
🗓️ Date: Tuesday 12th April 2026 18:00- 20:00
⏰ Duration: 2 hours
🎟️ Price: £25pp meet us there, £45 pick up from Glasgow
🥾 Terrain: Flat coastal rock platforms (best at low tide), rock scrambling, beach paths, tidal terrain
Why Join This Tour?
Led by @ScottishGeologist, this tour strips geology back to one of its most fascinating themes—life in deep time. Barns Ness is a place where you can stand on an ancient seabed, see the fossils of the creatures that lived there, and understand how environments changed over millions of years.
Volcanoes by the Sea: A Geology Tour of North Berwick with @ScottishGeologist
Join @ScottishGeologist on a coastal geology tour of North Berwick, where ancient volcanoes meet sandy beaches and tidal platforms reveal a dramatic geological past. With views to Bass Rock and the Firth of Forth, this accessible field trip brings to life the Carboniferous volcanic landscape of East Lothian — once home to lava fields, tropical swamps, and shallow seas.
What to Expect
🌋 Explore a Volcanic Past
Walk across the eroded remains of a Carboniferous volcano, with excellent exposures of basaltic lava, volcaniclastic rocks, and tuffs.
Learn how North Berwick Law, Bass Rock, and Craigleith are all volcanic plugs — the solidified centres of ancient volcanoes that once dominated the region ~340 million years ago.
Identify classic features of igneous intrusions, including columnar jointing, baked contacts, and chilled margins.
Look for different types of volcanic rocks
🌊 Dynamic Coastal Features
Explore tidal platforms, wave-cut benches, and sea stacks, where erosion exposes some of the best rock outcrops in East Lothian.
Observe how modern processes like wave erosion continue to shape the rocks and sediment today.
Discover how geology influences the layout of the coastline, harbours, and natural defences.
🧭 Iconic Viewpoints and Landforms
Get panoramic views of Bass Rock — a volcanic plug now home to thousands of seabirds — and learn about its geology and history.
See how local landforms like The Law, Craigleith, and Fidra are all geologically connected.
Understand how volcanic activity in the Carboniferous created the chain of plugs stretching across the Firth of Forth.
👣 Hands-On Exploration
Try identifying igneous textures (fine- vs coarse-grained), sedimentary bedding, and fossils in the field.
Use simple tools (like hand lenses) to interpret rock relationships and discuss how geologists reconstruct past environments.
Enjoy interactive discussions on how volcanism, sedimentation, and sea-level changes all left their mark on North Berwick’s rocks.
Who Should Attend?
Great for beginners, families, students, and geology enthusiasts of all levels.
Especially suited to those interested in volcanology, fossils, and Scottish coastal geology.
The route is mostly flat and walkable, with optional rocky shore sections depending on tides.
Event Details
📍 Location: North Berwick, East Lothian
🗓️ Date: Wednesday 14th May 2026
⏰ Duration: 18:00-20:00
🎟️ Price: £25 pp meet us there. £40 pick up from Glasgow
🥾 Accessibility & Distance: Mostly coastal paths and beach: some optional scrambling on rock platforms at low tide. 2 to 3 miles depending on route.
Why Join This Tour?
Led by the engaging and knowledgeable @ScottishGeologist, this tour lets you walk across ancient volcanoes, hunt for fossils, and read the landscape like a geologist. North Berwick offers a stunning blend of natural beauty, geological significance, and accessible coastal geology, perfect for a fun and educational day out.
Upcoming Day trip Geology Tours
Discover the Scottish Highlands like you’ve never seen them before. Delve deep into the geological past of the highlands with @scottishgeologist - Be a geologist for the day.
Itinerary
Glasgow - Loch Lomond - Falls of Falloch - Rannoch Moor - Glencoe - Ballachulish - Fort William - Glenfinnan - Return to Glasgow
08:00 Departure from Glasgow - Meet outside Costa Coffee, 50 George Square, Glasgow for introductions.
During the journey there will brief talk on the formation of the Scottish Highlands, focusing on:
The Midland Valley geological Terrane
The Highland Boundary Fault (HBF) - the major geological divide between the Lowlands & Highlands.
The Central Highlands geological Terrane - The Dalradian Supergroup (metamorphic rocks)
The Caledonian Orogeny (~400 million years ago)
The Northern Highlands geological Terrane
The Moine Supergroup (metamorphic rocks)
A geological history of Scotland
Loch Lomond
How Scotland was once near the South Pole and moved northward.
The Dalradian Supergroup - ancient seafloor sediments that were buried, folded, and metamorphosed.
The Highland Boundary Fault (HBF) - the major geological divide between the Lowlands & Highlands.
Evidence of glacial processes shaping the loch.
The falls of Falloch visit
Drive through Rannoch Moor (A82 Route to Glencoe)
Scenic stop at Black Mount viewpoint and Loch Tula
The last Ice Age (~20,000 years ago) and how glaciers shaped Rannoch Moor.
Granite and how it forms.
Glacial erratics, peat bogs, and permafrost landscapes - learn how to recognise glacial features.
Glencoe - Scotland’s 420 Million year old ‘Supervolcano’
We will stop and explore a few points in Glencoe, learning about what rocks form the munro that surround us and how these came to be. There will be a few short walks involved in this area of intermediate nature.
The Glencoe Caldera Collapse (~420 million years ago) a volcanic super-eruption - learn how to identify different igneous rocks
Igneous rocks and there processes (volcanos and that)
U-shaped valleys & hanging valleys formed by Ice Age glaciers.
The difference between different magmas
Lunch in Glencoe visitor centre
Ballachulish Slate Quarry - Metamorphism, fools gold and slaty rocks
Explore the Ballachulish Slate Quarry, where sedimentary rocks were transformed into roofing slates.
How high-pressure metamorphism changed mudstone into slate.
Regional metamorphism and Barrovian metamorphism.
The role of the Caledonian Orogeny in rock deformation.
The quarrys impact on Scotlands industrial history.
Fort William & Ben Nevis Geology
Ben Nevis: An extinct Devonian volcano (~400 million years ago).
The difference between Ben Nevis granite & Glencoe volcanic rocks.
How glacial erosion carved the mountains current shape.
Tectonic movements & faulting linked to the Great Glen Fault.
Glenfinnan - The Moine Supergroup now known as the Loch Ness and Wester Ross Supergroup
Metamorphism of the Moine supergroup in around the viaduct that represent the metamorphic rocks of the northern highlands - we will look at the schists that make up the Glenfinnan Group.
Glenfinnan viaduct - only if parking is available - the Harry Potter train bridge (includes short optional walk and if we arrive on time, we may get the chance to see the train.
On the way home - Recap of:
Scotlands geological evolution from Precambrian to today.
How plate tectonics continue to shape the landscape.
Estimated arrival in Glasgow: 18:30-19:00.
Rock types seen
Slate
Phyllite
Schist
Granite
Rhyolite
Andesite
Ash and tuff
Dolerite
Basalt
Quartz
Meta sedimentary rocks - psammite, pelite, semi-pelite and quartzite
Tour Highlights (1-Day Experience)
See Glencoes supervolcano - one of the best-preserved in the world.
Explore Ballachulish Slate Quarry - a story of metamorphism & industry.
Learn about the Caledonian Orogeny
Learn about Ben Nevis - Britains highest peak and its volcanic origins.
Glenfinnan Viaduct - AKA the Harry Potter bridge
Understand Scotlands Ice Age past - how glaciers shaped the landscape.
This efficient yet immersive tour covers Scotlands key geological wonders in a single day while allowing for scenic stops and short walks.
Please note lunch is not included in the price and you can either buy lunch at the Glencoe visitor centre or bring a packed lunch with you.
Price:
£150.00 per person
What to bring?
Waterproof jacket and trousers (Scotland is known for the rain and that so please be prepared
Backback
Warm clothes, potentially extra layers you can take on and off.
Gloves and hat if tour is in winter/autumn/spring time
comfortable shoes/walking boots for rough wet terrain
Good comfortable socks (maybe a spare pair in the backpack
Sunscreen (recommended SPF30 (UVB) with 4-star UVA protection
Camera/smart phone
Battery pack
Phone charger
Discover the Scottish Highlands like you’ve never seen them before. Delve deep into the geological past of the highlands with @scottishgeologist - Be a geologist for the day.
Itinerary
Glasgow - Loch Lomond - Falls of Falloch - Rannoch Moor - Glencoe - Ballachulish - Fort William - Glenfinnan - Return to Glasgow
08:00 Departure from Glasgow - Meet outside Costa Coffee, 50 George Square, Glasgow for introductions.
During the journey there will brief talk on the formation of the Scottish Highlands, focusing on:
The Midland Valley geological Terrane
The Highland Boundary Fault (HBF) - the major geological divide between the Lowlands & Highlands.
The Central Highlands geological Terrane - The Dalradian Supergroup (metamorphic rocks)
The Caledonian Orogeny (~400 million years ago)
The Northern Highlands geological Terrane
The Moine Supergroup (metamorphic rocks)
A geological history of Scotland
Loch Lomond
How Scotland was once near the South Pole and moved northward.
The Dalradian Supergroup - ancient seafloor sediments that were buried, folded, and metamorphosed.
The Highland Boundary Fault (HBF) - the major geological divide between the Lowlands & Highlands.
Evidence of glacial processes shaping the loch.
The falls of Falloch visit
Drive through Rannoch Moor (A82 Route to Glencoe)
Scenic stop at Black Mount viewpoint and Loch Tula
The last Ice Age (~20,000 years ago) and how glaciers shaped Rannoch Moor.
Granite and how it forms.
Glacial erratics, peat bogs, and permafrost landscapes - learn how to recognise glacial features.
Glencoe - Scotland’s 420 Million year old ‘Supervolcano’
We will stop and explore a few points in Glencoe, learning about what rocks form the munro that surround us and how these came to be. There will be a few short walks involved in this area of intermediate nature.
The Glencoe Caldera Collapse (~420 million years ago) a volcanic super-eruption - learn how to identify different igneous rocks
Igneous rocks and there processes (volcanos and that)
U-shaped valleys & hanging valleys formed by Ice Age glaciers.
The difference between different magmas
Lunch in Glencoe visitor centre
Ballachulish Slate Quarry - Metamorphism, fools gold and slaty rocks
Explore the Ballachulish Slate Quarry, where sedimentary rocks were transformed into roofing slates.
How high-pressure metamorphism changed mudstone into slate.
Regional metamorphism and Barrovian metamorphism.
The role of the Caledonian Orogeny in rock deformation.
The quarrys impact on Scotlands industrial history.
Fort William & Ben Nevis Geology
Ben Nevis: An extinct Devonian volcano (~400 million years ago).
The difference between Ben Nevis granite & Glencoe volcanic rocks.
How glacial erosion carved the mountains current shape.
Tectonic movements & faulting linked to the Great Glen Fault.
Glenfinnan - The Moine Supergroup now known as the Loch Ness and Wester Ross Supergroup
Metamorphism of the Moine supergroup in around the viaduct that represent the metamorphic rocks of the northern highlands - we will look at the schists that make up the Glenfinnan Group.
Glenfinnan viaduct - only if parking is available - the Harry Potter train bridge (includes short optional walk and if we arrive on time, we may get the chance to see the train.
On the way home - Recap of:
Scotlands geological evolution from Precambrian to today.
How plate tectonics continue to shape the landscape.
Estimated arrival in Glasgow: 18:30-19:00.
Rock types seen
Slate
Phyllite
Schist
Granite
Rhyolite
Andesite
Ash and tuff
Dolerite
Basalt
Quartz
Meta sedimentary rocks - psammite, pelite, semi-pelite and quartzite
Tour Highlights (1-Day Experience)
See Glencoes supervolcano - one of the best-preserved in the world.
Explore Ballachulish Slate Quarry - a story of metamorphism & industry.
Learn about the Caledonian Orogeny
Learn about Ben Nevis - Britains highest peak and its volcanic origins.
Glenfinnan Viaduct - AKA the Harry Potter bridge
Understand Scotlands Ice Age past - how glaciers shaped the landscape.
This efficient yet immersive tour covers Scotlands key geological wonders in a single day while allowing for scenic stops and short walks.
Please note lunch is not included in the price and you can either buy lunch at the Glencoe visitor centre or bring a packed lunch with you.
Price:
£150.00 per person
What to bring?
Waterproof jacket and trousers (Scotland is known for the rain and that so please be prepared
Backback
Warm clothes, potentially extra layers you can take on and off.
Gloves and hat if tour is in winter/autumn/spring time
comfortable shoes/walking boots for rough wet terrain
Good comfortable socks (maybe a spare pair in the backpack
Sunscreen (recommended SPF30 (UVB) with 4-star UVA protection
Camera/smart phone
Battery pack
Phone charger
Discover the Scottish Highlands like you’ve never seen them before. Delve deep into the geological past of the highlands with @scottishgeologist
Itinerary
Glasgow - Loch Lomond - Falls of Falloch - Rannoch Moor - Glencoe - Ballachulish - Fort William - Glenfinnan - Return to Glasgow
08:00 Departure from Glasgow - Meet outside Costa Coffee, 50 George Square, Glasgow for introductions.
During the journey there will brief talk on the formation of the Scottish Highlands, focusing on:
The Midland Valley geological Terrane
The Highland Boundary Fault (HBF) - the major geological divide between the Lowlands & Highlands.
The Central Highlands geological Terrane - The Dalradian Supergroup (metamorphic rocks)
The Caledonian Orogeny (~400 million years ago)
The Northern Highlands geological Terrane
The Moine Supergroup (metamorphic rocks)
A geological history of Scotland
Loch Lomond
How Scotland was once near the South Pole and moved northward.
The Dalradian Supergroup - ancient seafloor sediments that were buried, folded, and metamorphosed.
The Highland Boundary Fault (HBF) - the major geological divide between the Lowlands & Highlands.
Evidence of glacial processes shaping the loch.
The falls of Falloch visit
Drive through Rannoch Moor (A82 Route to Glencoe)
Scenic stop at Black Mount viewpoint and Loch Tula
The last Ice Age (~20,000 years ago) and how glaciers shaped Rannoch Moor.
Granite and how it forms.
Glacial erratics, peat bogs, and permafrost landscapes - learn how to recognise glacial features.
Glencoe - Scotland’s 420 Million year old ‘Supervolcano’
We will stop and explore a few points in Glencoe, learning about what rocks form the munro that surround us and how these came to be. There will be a few short walks involved in this area of intermediate nature.
The Glencoe Caldera Collapse (~420 million years ago) a volcanic super-eruption - learn how to identify different igneous rocks
Igneous rocks and there processes (volcanos and that)
U-shaped valleys & hanging valleys formed by Ice Age glaciers.
The difference between different magmas
Lunch in Glencoe visitor centre
Ballachulish Slate Quarry - Metamorphism, fools gold and slaty rocks
Explore the Ballachulish Slate Quarry, where sedimentary rocks were transformed into roofing slates.
How high-pressure metamorphism changed mudstone into slate.
Regional metamorphism and Barrovian metamorphism.
The role of the Caledonian Orogeny in rock deformation.
The quarrys impact on Scotlands industrial history.
Fort William & Ben Nevis Geology
Ben Nevis: An extinct Devonian volcano (~400 million years ago).
The difference between Ben Nevis granite & Glencoe volcanic rocks.
How glacial erosion carved the mountains current shape.
Tectonic movements & faulting linked to the Great Glen Fault.
Glenfinnan - The Moine Supergroup now known as the Loch Ness and Wester Ross Supergroup
Metamorphism of the Moine supergroup in around the viaduct that represent the metamorphic rocks of the northern highlands - we will look at the schists that make up the Glenfinnan Group.
Glenfinnan viaduct - only if parking is available - the Harry Potter train bridge (includes short optional walk and if we arrive on time, we may get the chance to see the train.
On the way home - Recap of:
Scotlands geological evolution from Precambrian to today.
How plate tectonics continue to shape the landscape.
Estimated arrival in Glasgow: 18:30-19:00.
Rock types seen
Slate
Phyllite
Schist
Granite
Rhyolite
Andesite
Ash and tuff
Dolerite
Basalt
Quartz
Meta sedimentary rocks - psammite, pelite, semi-pelite and quartzite
Tour Highlights (1-Day Experience)
See Glencoes supervolcano - one of the best-preserved in the world.
Explore Ballachulish Slate Quarry - a story of metamorphism & industry.
Learn about the Caledonian Orogeny
Learn about Ben Nevis - Britains highest peak and its volcanic origins.
Glenfinnan Viaduct - AKA the Harry Potter bridge
Understand Scotlands Ice Age past - how glaciers shaped the landscape.
This efficient yet immersive tour covers Scotlands key geological wonders in a single day while allowing for scenic stops and short walks.
Please note lunch is not included in the price and you can either buy lunch at the Glencoe visitor centre or bring a packed lunch with you.
Price:
£150.00 per person
What to bring?
Waterproof jacket and trousers (Scotland is known for the rain and that so please be prepared
Backback
Warm clothes, potentially extra layers you can take on and off.
Gloves and hat if tour is in winter/autumn/spring time
comfortable shoes/walking boots for rough wet terrain
Good comfortable socks (maybe a spare pair in the backpack
Sunscreen (recommended SPF30 (UVB) with 4-star UVA protection
Camera/smart phone
Battery pack
Phone charger
Discover the Scottish Highlands like you’ve never seen them before. Delve deep into the geological past of the highlands with @scottishgeologist
Itinerary
Glasgow - Loch Lomond - Falls of Falloch - Rannoch Moor - Glencoe - Ballachulish - Fort William - Glenfinnan - Return to Glasgow
08:00 Departure from Glasgow - Meet outside Costa Coffee, 50 George Square, Glasgow for introductions.
During the journey there will brief talk on the formation of the Scottish Highlands, focusing on:
The Midland Valley geological Terrane
The Highland Boundary Fault (HBF) - the major geological divide between the Lowlands & Highlands.
The Central Highlands geological Terrane - The Dalradian Supergroup (metamorphic rocks)
The Caledonian Orogeny (~400 million years ago)
The Northern Highlands geological Terrane
The Moine Supergroup (metamorphic rocks)
A geological history of Scotland
Loch Lomond
How Scotland was once near the South Pole and moved northward.
The Dalradian Supergroup - ancient seafloor sediments that were buried, folded, and metamorphosed.
The Highland Boundary Fault (HBF) - the major geological divide between the Lowlands & Highlands.
Evidence of glacial processes shaping the loch.
The falls of Falloch visit
Drive through Rannoch Moor (A82 Route to Glencoe)
Scenic stop at Black Mount viewpoint and Loch Tula
The last Ice Age (~20,000 years ago) and how glaciers shaped Rannoch Moor.
Granite and how it forms.
Glacial erratics, peat bogs, and permafrost landscapes - learn how to recognise glacial features.
Glencoe - Scotland’s 420 Million year old ‘Supervolcano’
We will stop and explore a few points in Glencoe, learning about what rocks form the munro that surround us and how these came to be. There will be a few short walks involved in this area of intermediate nature.
The Glencoe Caldera Collapse (~420 million years ago) a volcanic super-eruption - learn how to identify different igneous rocks
Igneous rocks and there processes (volcanos and that)
U-shaped valleys & hanging valleys formed by Ice Age glaciers.
The difference between different magmas
Lunch in Glencoe visitor centre
Ballachulish Slate Quarry - Metamorphism, fools gold and slaty rocks
Explore the Ballachulish Slate Quarry, where sedimentary rocks were transformed into roofing slates.
How high-pressure metamorphism changed mudstone into slate.
Regional metamorphism and Barrovian metamorphism.
The role of the Caledonian Orogeny in rock deformation.
The quarrys impact on Scotlands industrial history.
Fort William & Ben Nevis Geology
Ben Nevis: An extinct Devonian volcano (~400 million years ago).
The difference between Ben Nevis granite & Glencoe volcanic rocks.
How glacial erosion carved the mountains current shape.
Tectonic movements & faulting linked to the Great Glen Fault.
Glenfinnan - The Moine Supergroup now known as the Loch Ness and Wester Ross Supergroup
Metamorphism of the Moine supergroup in around the viaduct that represent the metamorphic rocks of the northern highlands - we will look at the schists that make up the Glenfinnan Group.
Glenfinnan viaduct - only if parking is available - the Harry Potter train bridge (includes short optional walk and if we arrive on time, we may get the chance to see the train.
On the way home - Recap of:
Scotlands geological evolution from Precambrian to today.
How plate tectonics continue to shape the landscape.
Estimated arrival in Glasgow: 18:30-19:00.
Rock types seen
Slate
Phyllite
Schist
Granite
Rhyolite
Andesite
Ash and tuff
Dolerite
Basalt
Quartz
Meta sedimentary rocks - psammite, pelite, semi-pelite and quartzite
Tour Highlights (1-Day Experience)
See Glencoes supervolcano - one of the best-preserved in the world.
Explore Ballachulish Slate Quarry - a story of metamorphism & industry.
Learn about the Caledonian Orogeny
Learn about Ben Nevis - Britains highest peak and its volcanic origins.
Glenfinnan Viaduct - AKA the Harry Potter bridge
Understand Scotlands Ice Age past - how glaciers shaped the landscape.
This efficient yet immersive tour covers Scotlands key geological wonders in a single day while allowing for scenic stops and short walks.
Please note lunch is not included in the price and you can either buy lunch at the Glencoe visitor centre or bring a packed lunch with you.
Price:
£150.00 per person
What to bring?
Waterproof jacket and trousers (Scotland is known for the rain and that so please be prepared
Backback
Warm clothes, potentially extra layers you can take on and off.
Gloves and hat if tour is in winter/autumn/spring time
comfortable shoes/walking boots for rough wet terrain
Good comfortable socks (maybe a spare pair in the backpack
Sunscreen (recommended SPF30 (UVB) with 4-star UVA protection
Camera/smart phone
Battery pack
Phone charger
Upcoming Weekend Geology Tours
Volcanoes, Sacred Stone, and Fingal’s Cave: A Geology Tour of Mull, Iona & Staffa with @ScottishGeologist
Join @ScottishGeologist on an unforgettable geological journey through the Inner Hebrides, exploring the spectacular islands of Mull, Iona, and Staffa. Over several days, you’ll discover stories of fiery volcanoes, ancient continents, and world-famous rock formations, all set against Scotland’s most dramatic island scenery.
What to Expect
🌋 Isle of Mull igneous geology – Scotland’s Great Volcano
Explore the remains of one of the largest volcanic centres in Britain, active around 60 million years ago during the opening of the Atlantic Ocean.
Examine vast basalt lava flows, volcanic ash deposits, and intrusive rocks that reveal the power of this ancient volcanic system.
Learn how Mull’s geology links to Iceland and Greenland, part of the same rift system that tore apart the North Atlantic.
Visit the stunning Loch Ba Ring Dyke, where magma once forced its way through cracks in the crust.
🌍 Deep Time on Display
Walk through hundreds of millions of years of Earth history in a single island, from Precambrian metamorphic rocks to Tertiary granites and dykes.
🧭 Structural Geology and Tectonics
Identify folds and faults in Dalradian metamorphic rocks.
Learn how these structures formed during the Caledonian Orogeny (~430 million years ago), when Scotland was part of a giant mountain belt like today’s Himalayas.
Discuss how later extension and volcanism reshaped the island.
🪨 Iona – Ancient Crust of the Earth
Step back more than 2.7 billion years as you walk across the Lewisian gneiss of Iona, some of the oldest rocks in Europe.
Learn how these rocks record Earth’s earliest continental crust and were later reshaped by billions of years of tectonic activity.
Discover how Iona’s geology shaped its role in history, from building stone to the setting of St Columba’s monastery.
🌊 Staffa – The World-Famous Fingal’s Cave
Sail to Staffa, home to the spectacular Fingal’s Cave, where towering basalt columns form a natural cathedral.
Learn how these iconic hexagonal columns formed as molten lava cooled and cracked, the same process seen at the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland.
Experience first-hand the link between geology and legend, as Staffa’s rocks inspired artists, poets, and composers like Mendelssohn.
🌊 Dynamic Coasts and Ice Age Legacies
• Stroll along Arran’s spectacular coastlines to find raised beaches and wave-cut platforms, evidence of changing sea levels since the last Ice Age.
• See glacial erratics, striated pavements, and corries that reveal how ice sculpted the island.
• Compare glacial landscapes inland with modern coastal erosion happening before your eyes.
👣 Guided Walks and Coastal Exploration
At each island, enjoy guided walks to key outcrops and landscapes, with time to:
Identify rock types and structures.
Learn about the processes that formed them.
Sketch and photograph world-class geological features.
Who Should Attend?
This tour is ideal for:
Geology enthusiasts and students.
Nature lovers and island explorers.
Anyone captivated by Scotland’s volcanic and ancient past.
No prior geology experience is needed—just sturdy shoes, curiosity, and a love of the outdoors.
Event Details
📍 Locations: Isle of Mull, Isle of Iona, Isle of Staffa
Pick up: outside Costa coffee, 50 George square, Glasgow city centre at 10:00 on Friday morning or meet us there
🗓️ Dates: Friday 10th July (10:00) to Sunday 12th May 2026 (19:30/20:00)
Pick up: outside Costa coffee, 50 George square, Glasgow city centre at 10:00 on Friday morning.
⏰ Duration: Multi-day tour (2–3 days)
🎟️ Price:
£365pp from Glasgow.
£320pp to meet us there at Craignure Ferry terminal each morning at 08:00am
Additional tickets have been added if you would like to join us on just Saturday for the day on isle of Staffa and Iona you can either meet us at the ferry terminal at craignure (£145.00) or meet us at Fionnphort ferry terminal (£95.00)
(includes guided geology walks, ferry tickets, boat ticket to Staffa and transportation in 7/8 seater minibus. Accommodation is not included) .
Please book accommodation in Tobermory on both nights - Luisa will arrange pick ups/drop offs closer to the time
We will visit the following places:
Loch Lomond
Oban
Craignure
Tobermory
Griban
Ross of Mull
Ardalanish bay
Calgary bay
salen
Fionnphort
Isle of Staffa
Isle of Iona
Rock units you’ll see:
The Dalradian supergroup (metamorphic rocks)
The Moine supergroup (metamorphic rocks) - these have been renamed and reinterpreted into two other groups now but I’ll always know them as the Moine
Ross of mull granite
Devonian old red sandstones (Oban)
Premian/triassic sedimentary rocks
Paleogene igneous mafic and felsic rocks
Why Join This Tour?
Led by the knowledgeable @ScottishGeologist, this tour brings together ancient continental crust, fiery volcanic eruptions, and iconic coastal landscapes in a single journey. From the sacred rocks of Iona to the volcanic columns of Staffa, and the mighty caldera of Mull, this is geology at its most awe-inspiring.
Book Your Island Geology Adventure Today!
Step into Scotland’s geological story—where ancient crust meets volcanic fire, and nature has carved some of the most iconic landscapes on Earth.
Through Deep Time: A Geology Tour of the North West Highlands with @ScottishGeologist
Join @ScottishGeologist on a journey into the North West Highlands, one of the most geologically important landscapes in the world. Here, billion-year-old rocks, ancient mountain-building collisions, and world-famous thrust faults tell the story of Earth’s deep past in a setting of breathtaking mountains, lochs, and sea cliffs.
What to Expect
🪨 The Oldest Rocks in Europe
Walk across outcrops of Lewisian gneiss, some of the oldest rocks on the continent at over 3.2 billion years old.
Learn how these rocks formed deep in Earth’s crust and were later uplifted and exposed by tectonic events.
🏜️ Torridonian Sandstones
Discover striking red sandstone mountains such as Stac Pollaidh and Suilven, formed from ancient river and desert deposits around 1 to 1.2 billion years ago.
Examine sedimentary structures like cross-bedding, ripple marks and mud cracks that preserve clues to these long-vanished environments.
🌍 The Moine Thrust Belt
Visit the internationally famous Moine Thrust Zone, where older rocks were pushed for miles over younger rocks during the Caledonian Orogeny ~430 million years ago.
See spectacular thrust fault exposures and understand why this region became a cornerstone of modern geological science.
⛰️ Classic Highland Landscapes
Explore iconic sites such as Knockan Crag National Nature Reserve, where geology meets art and interpretation.
Trace how glaciers sculpted the rugged terrain into corries, U-shaped valleys, and polished rock surfaces during the last Ice Age.
👣 Guided Walks and Field Observations
Enjoy carefully chosen walks and stops to study:
Rock textures and mineralogy.
Fold and fault structures in outcrop.
How geology influences today’s landscape and ecology.
Who Should Attend?
Geology enthusiasts and students keen to see textbook examples in the field.
Hikers, photographers, and nature lovers drawn to Scotland’s wildest scenery.
Anyone curious about how mountains form and why the North West Highlands are a UNESCO Geopark.
No prior geology knowledge required—just sturdy footwear and a spirit of exploration.
Event Details
📍 Location: Ullapool, North West Highlands
📍Pick up locations: outside Costa coffee, 50 George’s square, Glasgow at 10:00 or Inverness train station at 15:30/16:00
🗓️ Dates: Friday 29th May to Sunday 31st May 2026
⏰ Duration: multi-day tour (2 to 3 days)
🎟️ Price:
£350pp from Glasgow
£320pp from Inverness
£300pp meet us there (guiding and transport included, accommodation not included - book
Places we will visit:
Loch Lomond metamorphic rocks
Glencoe’s supervolcano
The great Glen Fault line - Loch Ness
Knocken Crag - The Moine Thrust Fault
Loch Assynt
Achmelvich Bay
Clachtoll beach
Glencoul thrust fault
The Rock Stop (if opened) - The North West Highlands Geopark stop and rock museum.
Kylesku Bridge
Scourie Bay
Laxford Cutting
Smoo Cave, Durness
Ceannabeinne beach, Durness
Corrieshalloch gorge - the deepest gorge in Scotland
Rock formations you’ll see:
The Lewissian Gniess - the oldest rocks in Scotland
The Torridonian Sandstones
The Moine supergroup
The Cambrian quartzites including the ‘pipe rock’
The Durness Group
The Ardverck Group
The Dalradian supergroup
And many more 🪨😍
Why Join This Tour?
Led by the knowledgeable @ScottishGeologist, this tour will guide you through some of the most important outcrops in Earth science history. You’ll walk across rocks older than life itself, stand at the site of ground-breaking 19th-century geological discoveries, and see how tectonics, sedimentation, and glaciation shaped Scotland’s wild northwest.
Book Your Highland Geology Experience Today!
The North West Highlands are not just Scotland’s oldest rocks—they are pages in the story of our planet. Come and read them with @ScottishGeologist.
Ancient Stones and Atlantic Shores: A Geology Tour of Lewis & Harris with @ScottishGeologist
Join @ScottishGeologist on a breathtaking geological journey across the Isle of Lewis and Harris, where the landscape tells a story stretching back nearly 3 billion years. From the Lewisian gneiss, some of the oldest rocks in Europe, to stunning Atlantic beaches and towering Harris mountains, this tour reveals how Scotland’s Outer Hebrides became a geological wonderland.
What to Expect
🪨 The Lewisian Gneiss Complex
Walk across outcrops of Lewisian gneiss, formed over 3.2 billion years ago deep in Earth’s crust.
Learn how these rocks were altered by intense heat and pressure, creating their distinctive banded appearance.
Understand how these gneisses are fragments of Earth’s earliest continental crust, older than almost all life.
⛰️ The Mountains and minerals of Harris
Explore the dramatic Harris hills, where gneiss forms a rugged, rocky landscape shaped by glaciers.
See how later intrusions of granite and pegmatite veins cut through the gneiss, telling a story of deep magmatic activity.
Trace how these ancient foundations influence the island’s modern topography.
Analyse crystals such as tourmaline, mica and quartz in pegmatic form.
🏜️ The Uig and Stornoway Sandstones
Visit exposures of Torridonian-like sandstones, deposited around 1 billion years ago by ancient rivers and deserts.
Spot sedimentary structures like ripples and cross-bedding, frozen evidence of vanished landscapes.
⛰️ Structural Geology in the Gneiss
Analyse how the Lewisian was deformed over billions of years, recording cycles of burial, heating, and uplift.
Look at isoclinal folds, refolded folds, and shear fabrics, and discuss what they reveal about the pressures and directions of ancient tectonic forces.
Learn how geologists unravel deformation histories by tracing cross-cutting relationships between different fold generations.
Compare the structures in Lewisian gneiss to those found in modern mountain belts like the Himalayas.
🌍 The Outer Hebrides Fault Zone (OHFZ)
Explore one of Scotland’s most significant tectonic structures, stretching for more than 200 km along the Outer Hebrides.
Understand how this ancient fault marks the boundary between the Lewisian gneiss block and rocks further east.
Learn that the OHFZ was reactivated several times:
During the Proterozoic, when the Lewisian basement was fractured and sheared.
During the Caledonian Orogeny (~430 million years ago), when thrusts and folds developed as Scotland collided with North America and Greenland.
Even later, during the opening of the Atlantic, when dykes intruded along fault lines.
See spectacular mylonites and sheared rocks, where the gneiss has been ground and stretched by movement along the fault.
Discuss how this deep crustal fault connects Arran, the mainland, and the Outer Hebrides, showing how Scotland’s geology is linked across regions.
🌊 Glacial and Coastal Landscapes
Discover how the last Ice Age carved corries, valleys, and lochs across Lewis and Harris.
Walk along the Atlantic coast, where white-sand beaches like Luskentyre meet outcrops of ancient gneiss.
Observe how waves and weather continue to shape the coast today, creating sea stacks, cliffs, and machair grasslands.
🏛️ Geology and Culture
Learn how Lewisian gneiss was used in building crofts and stone walls across the islands.
Visit the Callanish Standing Stones, erected over 5,000 years ago, and discuss how the local geology provided both the material and the setting for this remarkable site.
Hear how geology influenced settlement, farming, and industry in the Outer Hebrides.
👣 Hands-On Exploration
Examine thin bands of different minerals in the gneiss and learn how to identify feldspar, quartz, and mica.
Sketch folded gneiss outcrops and glacial features in a field notebook.
Compare the Lewisian to modern geological analogues, such as the Canadian Shield.
Who Should Attend?
Geology enthusiasts wanting to see some of the oldest rocks in the world.
Nature lovers drawn to Harris’s mountains and Lewis’s sweeping beaches.
Anyone fascinated by the link between geology, history, and human culture.
No prior geology background is needed—just good walking shoes and a love of wild landscapes.
Event Details
📍 Location: Isle of Lewis & Harris, Outer Hebrides
Pick up available from Glasgow, Inverness or meet us there.
🗓️ Dates: Friday 24th July to 27th July 2026
⏰ Duration: 2-4 days
🎟️ Price:
£395pp from Glasgow
£365pp from Inverness
£300pp meet us there (2 day ticket - Saturday and Sunday)
(guiding, ferry and transport included. Accommodation not included - please book accommodation within a 10 mile radius of Stornoway)
Places we will visit:
Luskentyre
Scarista
Rodel
Harris tweed
Isle of Harris distillery
Stornoway
Callinish stones
Alpaca cafe
Port of ness
Why Join This Tour?
Led by @ScottishGeologist, this tour offers the chance to stand on rocks nearly as old as the Earth itself, while surrounded by some of Scotland’s most spectacular scenery. From billion-year-old gneiss to Ice Age landscapes and ancient monuments, the Outer Hebrides bring together deep time, cultural history, and natural beauty in one unforgettable journey.
Book Your Lewis & Harris Geology Adventure Today!
Step into the deep past of Scotland—where some of the world’s oldest rocks meet the wild Atlantic shore.
A Geology Tour of the Isle of Skye with @ScottishGeologist
Join @ScottishGeologist for an immersive geology tour of the Isle of Skye, one of the world’s most spectacular geological landscapes. Skye is a natural laboratory where ancient ocean crust, dinosaur footprints, and vast volcanic landscapes all come together against a backdrop of breathtaking Highland scenery.
Highlights
🪨 A Journey Through Deep Time
Explore rocks ranging from 3.2 billion-year-old Lewisian Gneiss to 60-million-year old volcanic landscapes, all in a compact island setting.
Learn how these rocks were once part of ancient continental crust, buried deep within the Earth before being uplifted and exposed.
See how continental collisions, desert rivers, shallow seas, dinosaurs and volcanic eruptions each left their mark on Skye.
⛰️ The Basement: Lewisian Gneiss and the Moine Thrust
Examine Lewisian Gneiss, the same ancient continental crust found in the North West Highlands.
Handle samples and identify key minerals like feldspar, quartz, and biotite that give gneiss its banded texture.
Lean how the Moine Thrust Zone formed, where ancient continents collided during the Caledonian Orogeny, thrusting older rocks over younger ones (430 million years ago).
Learn how these tectonic collisions created mountain belts that once rivalled the Himalays.
🏜️ Sandstones and Desert Rivers
See Torridonian sandstones laid down in rivers and floodplains around 1.2 billion years ago.
Identify preserved ripples, mud cracks, and cross-bedding, which tell stories of ancient environments long before animals walked the land.
🦕Jurassic Seas and Dinosaurs
Explore Jurassic sedimentary rocks along Skye’s coast, deposited when Scotland was covered in a tropical sea.
Look for fossils in the sandstones, shales and limestone: shells, ammonites, and plant remains.
Visit Staffin Bay, where dinosaur footprints from Sauropods and theropods can still be seen in tidal exposures. These trackways bring Sky’s nickname to life as the ‘‘Dinosaur isle of Scotland.’’
🌋 The Skye Volcano
Discover how Skye was dramatically reshaped during the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean, around 60 million years ago.
See vast fields of basalt lava flows that erupted from fissures and volcanic vents, forming much of northern Skye’s landscpape.
Explore the black Cuillin mountains, built from tough gabbro and peridotite intrusions, which give the peaks their jagged alpine character.
Learn why Gabbro’s rough, grippy texture makes the Cuillin beloved by climbers, while smoother basalt forms striking plateaus and escarpments.
Learn how the red Cuillin’s formed through fractional crystallisation and partial melting of the crust after the intrusion of Gabbro.
🗻Tectonics, Dykes and Sills
Trace the networks of dykes and sills that cut across Skye, carrying molten magma through older rocks.
Understand how there intrusions provide evidence of the enormous stresses as the Atlantic began to split open.
See textbook examples of layered intrusions in the Cuillin, where minerals settled out as magma slowly cooled.
❄️Glaciers and Landscapes
Skye’s modern scenery owes much to the last Ice Age. Explore corries, U-shaped valleys and sharp ridges carved by glaciers.
Find polished rock surfaces, striations, and erratic boulders left behind and the ice retreated.
Discuss how ice sculpted the Old man of Storr and Quiraing landslip as well as the dramatic escarpments of the Trotternish Peninsula, where whole blocks of basalt have slid downslope, creating one of the largest landslides in Europe..
The geology of the Scottish Highlands as well will be explained and explored during this tour both on the way up and down.
Who Should Attend?
This tour is ideal for geology enthusiasts, students, fossil hunters, walkers, and anyone captivated by Scotland’s natural heritage. The pace is accessible, with time to explore, sketch, and take in the landscapes.
Event Details
📍 Location: Isle of Skye, Inner Hebrides
📍Pick up: Glasgow at 10:00am or Meet us there on Saturday and Sunday at 08:00 in Portree
🗓️ Dates: Friday 18th September (10:00) to Monday 21st September (14:00)
⏰ Duration: 2 to 4 days depending on if you meet us there (3 nights)
🎟️ Price: £395pp pick up from and return to Glasgow or meet us there on Saturday and Sunday for £300pp (08:00-17:30)
Includes guided tour and transportation in 7/8 seater minibus - Rocks The Ford Tourneo.
Does not include accommodation that has to be booked separate in Portree for 3 nights (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). For those who don’t mind camping and would like to budget there’s a campsite outside Portree called Portree campsite. Your more than welcome to join with your campervan as well.
Places you will see:
The Scottish Highlands
Loch Lomond
Glencoe and Ballachullish
Fort William
Northern Highlands
Portree
Fairy Pools
Old man of Storr
Quiraing
Elgol
Loch Couruisk
Dinosaur museum
Dinosaur footprints
Rock Units You will see:
Lewisian Gneiss
Torridonian Sandstone
The Moine group - metasedimentary
Durness Limestone
Skye marble (metamorphosed Durness limestone)
Jurassic sedimentary rocks (contain dinosaur footprints and fossils)
Paleogene Mafic intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks (black Cullins and lava flows)
Paleogene Felsic intrusive igneous rocks (red Cullins)
Dalradian Supergroup
Moine Supergroup (Loch Ness Supergroup)
Why Join This Tour?
Led by the experienced @ScottishGeologist, this tour brings together billions of years of geological history in one unforgettable experience. From the birth of continents to dinosaur footprints and fiery volcanoes, Skye tells Earth’s story in a way few places can match.
Scotland in Miniature: A Geology Tour of the Isle of Arran with @ScottishGeologist
Join @ScottishGeologist for an inspiring geological tour of the Isle of Arran, often called “Scotland in Miniature” because it showcases almost every type of rock and geological process found across the country. From ancient ocean crust found In north Glen Sannox along the Highland Boundary fault line to folded meta-sediments that were deformed during the Caldeonian orogeny (mountain building) to the granite mountains, fossil-rich sandstones, and famous unconformities, Arran is one of the best places in the world to explore Earth’s story in a single island.
What to Expect
🌍 Deep Time on Display
Walk through hundreds of millions of years of Earth history in a single island, from Precambrian metamorphic rocks to Tertiary granites and dykes.
Understand why Arran is nicknamed “Scotland in Miniature”—its rocks represent almost every major stage of Scotland’s geological story.
🪨 Hutton’s Unconformity at Lochranza
Stand at the site where James Hutton, the father of modern geology, found one of his most famous examples of unconformity.
See how vertical Dalradian schists (c. 500–600 million years old) are overlain by much younger Devonian sandstones (~370 million years old).
Learn how this relationship gave Hutton evidence for “deep time” and the endless cycles of rock formation.
🌋 Igneous Geology: The Arran Granite and Beyond
• Explore the granite mountains of North Arran, intruded around 60 million years ago during the opening of the North Atlantic.
• Learn how slow-cooling magma deep underground produced the rugged Goatfell massif.
• Trace dyke swarms that cut through older rocks, part of the same magmatic activity that shaped Skye and Mull.
• See where igneous intrusions altered surrounding rocks by metamorphism (contact aureoles).
🧭 Structural Geology and Tectonics
Identify folds and faults in Dalradian metamorphic rocks.
Learn how these structures formed during the Caledonian Orogeny (~430 million years ago), when Scotland was part of a giant mountain belt like today’s Himalayas.
Discuss how later extension and volcanism reshaped the island
👣 Hands-On Exploration
Use simple field skills: sketching outcrops, noting sedimentary structures, and identifying igneous textures.
Compare rocks of very different ages side by side.
See how Arran acts as a “natural classroom,” ideal for connecting big geological ideas with real-world rocks.
🏜️🏝️Sedimentary Stories
Walk across Devonian Old Red Sandstone, laid down in rivers and desert basins when Scotland lay near the equator.
Visit Carboniferous rocks with limestones, sandstones, and shales, packed with fossils of corals, crinoids, and plants, evidence of warm shallow seas and swampy deltas.
Examine the Permian sandstones of southern Arran, deposited in arid desert conditions, their vivid red colour still striking today.
Who Should Attend?
Geology enthusiasts and students eager to see world-famous outcrops.
Walkers, families, and nature lovers looking to understand Arran’s landscapes more deeply.
Anyone curious about James Hutton and the birth of modern geology.
No prior geological knowledge needed—just sturdy footwear and a sense of curiosity!
Event Details
📍 Location: Isle of Arran, Firth of Clyde
Pick up: from Glasgow outside costa coffee, 50 George square, Glasgow city centre or meet us there
🗓️ Dates: Friday 12th June (10:00) to 14th June 2026 (19:00)
⏰ Duration: 3 days
🎟️ Price:
£330pp from Glasgow.
£295pp meet us there.
(Includes guiding, transport and ferry tickets. Accommodation is not included - please book accomodation within a 5 mile radius of Brodick)
Places we will visit:
Brodick
Corrie
North Glen Sannox
Arran geopark
Lochranza
Blackwaterfoot (drumadoon)
Kildonan
Rock Units you’ll see:
Dalradian metasedimentary rocks including psammite, pelite and semipelite with a variety of different textures and folds
Highland border complex
Devonian old red sandstone including sandstone, siltstone and conglomerate
Carboniferous sedimentary and volcanic rocks including sandstone, mudstone, limestone, basalt and tuff as well as a reptile footprints and marine fossils
Permian new red sandstone supergroup
Volcanic mafic and felsic intrusive and extrusive rocks from the paleogene
Why Join This Tour?
Arran has been called a “geological textbook” in the field, and with @ScottishGeologist as your guide, you’ll explore its unconformities, volcanoes, fossils, and glacial landscapes in a way that connects science, scenery, and story.
Book Your Arran Geology Tour Today!
Uncover the island where Scotland’s geology comes together—and where the science of deep time was born.
A Geology Tour of the Isle of Skye with @ScottishGeologist
Join @ScottishGeologist for an immersive geology tour of the Isle of Skye, one of the world’s most spectacular geological landscapes. Skye is a natural laboratory where ancient ocean crust, dinosaur footprints, and vast volcanic landscapes all come together against a backdrop of breathtaking Highland scenery.
Highlights
🪨 A Journey Through Deep Time
Explore rocks ranging from 3.2 billion-year-old Lewisian Gneiss to 60-million-year old volcanic landscapes, all in a compact island setting.
Learn how these rocks were once part of ancient continental crust, buried deep within the Earth before being uplifted and exposed.
See how continental collisions, desert rivers, shallow seas, dinosaurs and volcanic eruptions each left their mark on Skye.
⛰️ The Basement: Lewisian Gneiss and the Moine Thrust
Examine Lewisian Gneiss, the same ancient continental crust found in the North West Highlands.
Handle samples and identify key minerals like feldspar, quartz, and biotite that give gneiss its banded texture.
Lean how the Moine Thrust Zone formed, where ancient continents collided during the Caledonian Orogeny, thrusting older rocks over younger ones (430 million years ago).
Learn how these tectonic collisions created mountain belts that once rivalled the Himalays.
🏜️ Sandstones and Desert Rivers
See Torridonian sandstones laid down in rivers and floodplains around 1.2 billion years ago.
Identify preserved ripples, mud cracks, and cross-bedding, which tell stories of ancient environments long before animals walked the land.
🦕Jurassic Seas and Dinosaurs
Explore Jurassic sedimentary rocks along Skye’s coast, deposited when Scotland was covered in a tropical sea.
Look for fossils in the sandstones, shales and limestone: shells, ammonites, and plant remains.
Visit Staffin Bay, where dinosaur footprints from Sauropods and theropods can still be seen in tidal exposures. These trackways bring Sky’s nickname to life as the ‘‘Dinosaur isle of Scotland.’’
🌋 The Skye Volcano
Discover how Skye was dramatically reshaped during the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean, around 60 million years ago.
See vast fields of basalt lava flows that erupted from fissures and volcanic vents, forming much of northern Skye’s landscpape.
Explore the black Cuillin mountains, built from tough gabbro and peridotite intrusions, which give the peaks their jagged alpine character.
Learn why Gabbro’s rough, grippy texture makes the Cuillin beloved by climbers, while smoother basalt forms striking plateaus and escarpments.
Learn how the red Cuillin’s formed through fractional crystallisation and partial melting of the crust after the intrusion of Gabbro.
🗻Tectonics, Dykes and Sills
Trace the networks of dykes and sills that cut across Skye, carrying molten magma through older rocks.
Understand how there intrusions provide evidence of the enormous stresses as the Atlantic began to split open.
See textbook examples of layered intrusions in the Cuillin, where minerals settled out as magma slowly cooled.
❄️Glaciers and Landscapes
Skye’s modern scenery owes much to the last Ice Age. Explore corries, U-shaped valleys and sharp ridges carved by glaciers.
Find polished rock surfaces, striations, and erratic boulders left behind and the ice retreated.
Discuss how ice sculpted the Old man of Storr and Quiraing landslip as well as the dramatic escarpments of the Trotternish Peninsula, where whole blocks of basalt have slid downslope, creating one of the largest landslides in Europe..
The geology of the Scottish Highlands as well will be explained and explored during this tour both on the way up and down.
Who Should Attend?
This tour is ideal for geology enthusiasts, students, fossil hunters, walkers, and anyone captivated by Scotland’s natural heritage. The pace is accessible, with time to explore, sketch, and take in the landscapes.
Event Details
📍 Location: Isle of Skye, Inner Hebrides
📍Pick up: Glasgow at 10:00am or Meet us there on Saturday and Sunday at 08:00 in Portree
🗓️ Dates: Friday 7th August (10:00) to Monday 10th August (14:00)
⏰ Duration: 2 to 4 days depending on if you meet us there (3 nights)
🎟️ Price: £425pp pick up from and return to Glasgow or meet us there on Saturday and Sunday for £300pp (08:00-17:30)
Includes guided tour and transportation in 7/8 seater minibus - Rocks The Ford Tourneo.
Does not include accommodation that has to be booked separate in Portree for 3 nights (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). For those who don’t mind camping and would like to budget there’s a campsite outside Portree called Portree campsite. Your more than welcome to join with your campervan as well.
Places you will see:
The Scottish Highlands
Loch Lomond
Glencoe and Ballachullish
Fort William
Northern Highlands
Portree
Fairy Pools
Old man of Storr
Quiraing
Elgol
Loch Couruisk
Dinosaur museum
Dinosaur footprints
Rock Units You will see:
Lewisian Gneiss
Torridonian Sandstone
The Moine group - metasedimentary
Durness Limestone
Skye marble (metamorphosed Durness limestone)
Jurassic sedimentary rocks (contain dinosaur footprints and fossils)
Paleogene Mafic intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks (black Cullins and lava flows)
Paleogene Felsic intrusive igneous rocks (red Cullins)
Dalradian Supergroup
Moine Supergroup (Loch Ness Supergroup)
Why Join This Tour?
Led by the experienced @ScottishGeologist, this tour brings together billions of years of geological history in one unforgettable experience. From the birth of continents to dinosaur footprints and fiery volcanoes, Skye tells Earth’s story in a way few places can match.
Through Deep Time: A Geology Tour of the North West Highlands with @ScottishGeologist
Join @ScottishGeologist on a journey into the North West Highlands, one of the most geologically important landscapes in the world. Here, billion-year-old rocks, ancient mountain-building collisions, and world-famous thrust faults tell the story of Earth’s deep past in a setting of breathtaking mountains, lochs, and sea cliffs.
What to Expect
🪨 The Oldest Rocks in Europe
Walk across outcrops of Lewisian gneiss, some of the oldest rocks on the continent at over 3.2 billion years old.
Learn how these rocks formed deep in Earth’s crust and were later uplifted and exposed by tectonic events.
🏜️ Torridonian Sandstones
Discover striking red sandstone mountains such as Stac Pollaidh and Suilven, formed from ancient river and desert deposits around 1 to 1.2 billion years ago.
Examine sedimentary structures like cross-bedding, ripple marks and mud cracks that preserve clues to these long-vanished environments.
🌍 The Moine Thrust Belt
Visit the internationally famous Moine Thrust Zone, where older rocks were pushed for miles over younger rocks during the Caledonian Orogeny ~430 million years ago.
See spectacular thrust fault exposures and understand why this region became a cornerstone of modern geological science.
⛰️ Classic Highland Landscapes
Explore iconic sites such as Knockan Crag National Nature Reserve, where geology meets art and interpretation.
Trace how glaciers sculpted the rugged terrain into corries, U-shaped valleys, and polished rock surfaces during the last Ice Age.
👣 Guided Walks and Field Observations
Enjoy carefully chosen walks and stops to study:
Rock textures and mineralogy.
Fold and fault structures in outcrop.
How geology influences today’s landscape and ecology.
Who Should Attend?
Geology enthusiasts and students keen to see textbook examples in the field.
Hikers, photographers, and nature lovers drawn to Scotland’s wildest scenery.
Anyone curious about how mountains form and why the North West Highlands are a UNESCO Geopark.
No prior geology knowledge required—just sturdy footwear and a spirit of exploration.
Event Details
📍 Location: Ullapool, North West Highlands
📍Pick up locations: outside Costa coffee, 50 George’s square, Glasgow at 10:00 or Inverness train station at 15:30/16:00
🗓️ Dates: Friday 14th August (10:00 or 15:30) to Sunday 16th August 2026 (19:00)
⏰ Duration: multi-day tour (2 to 3 days)
🎟️ Price:
£350pp from Glasgow
£320pp from Inverness
£300pp meet us there (guiding and transport included, accommodation not included - book within 5 miles radius of Ullapool)
Places we will visit:
Loch Lomond metamorphic rocks
Glencoe’s supervolcano
The great Glen Fault line - Loch Ness
Knocken Crag - The Moine Thrust Fault
Loch Assynt
Achmelvich Bay
Clachtoll beach
Glencoul thrust fault
The Rock Stop (if opened) - The North West Highlands Geopark stop and rock museum.
Kylesku Bridge
Scourie Bay
Laxford Cutting
Smoo Cave, Durness
Ceannabeinne beach, Durness
Corrieshalloch gorge - the deepest gorge in Scotland
Rock formations you’ll see:
The Lewissian Gniess - the oldest rocks in Scotland
The Torridonian Sandstones
The Moine supergroup
The Cambrian quartzites including the ‘pipe rock’
The Durness Group
The Ardverck Group
The Dalradian supergroup
And many more 🪨😍
Why Join This Tour?
Led by the knowledgeable @ScottishGeologist, this tour will guide you through some of the most important outcrops in Earth science history. You’ll walk across rocks older than life itself, stand at the site of ground-breaking 19th-century geological discoveries, and see how tectonics, sedimentation, and glaciation shaped Scotland’s wild northwest.
Book Your Highland Geology Experience Today!
The North West Highlands are not just Scotland’s oldest rocks—they are pages in the story of our planet. Come and read them with @ScottishGeologist.
Inside Scotland’s Ancient Volcano: A Geology Tour to Ardnamurchan with @ScottishGeologist
Join @ScottishGeologist for a spectacular field excursion to the Ardnamurchan Peninsula — the best-preserved Palaeogene (Tertiary) volcanic complex in the UK, and one of the finest exposed volcanic ring structures in the world. This is a rare chance to step inside the heart of an ancient volcano, where lava once erupted, magma forced its way into the crust, and geological structures were frozen in time.
What to Expect
🌋 Explore a Classic Eroded Volcano
Stand inside the remains of a 60-million-year-old central volcanic complex, formed during the opening of the North Atlantic.
Learn how Ardnamurchan’s gabbroic ring structures, cone sheets, and radial dykes were formed as magma rose through the Earth’s crust.
Understand the anatomy of a volcano from the inside out: magma chambers, feeder systems, and surface eruptions — all visible in 3D.
🧭 The Famous Ring-Dyke Complex
Walk across the textbook example of a ring dyke, formed when the central magma chamber collapsed and magma injected into concentric fractures.
Observe radial dykes that radiate from the old volcanic centre like spokes on a wheel.
Understand how geologists interpret volcanic plumbing systems using these kinds of structures.
🪨 Gabbro, Basalt, and Beyond
Examine coarse-grained gabbro, crystallised slowly within the magma chamber, alongside finer-grained basaltic intrusions.
Learn how differences in cooling rate and magma chemistry affect mineral textures and rock types.
Identify minerals like plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine, common in mafic volcanic systems.
📏 Geological Structures in the Field
Measure and sketch dykes, sills, and cone sheets, and interpret how they relate to the broader volcanic structure.
Try basic field mapping and orientation exercises, guided by clear outcrop patterns in the landscape.
Discuss the link between Ardnamurchan and modern volcanoes like those in Iceland.
🌊 Wild Coastlines and Erosion
Explore how coastal erosion has cut into the volcano, exposing deep levels of its plumbing system.
Visit dramatic sea cliffs, headlands, and raised beaches, where geological processes from different eras intersect.
📚 From Volcano to Field Lab
Learn how Ardnamurchan became a classic site in British geology, featured in textbooks and taught at universities worldwide.
Discuss the site’s scientific importance in understanding volcanic ring complexes and collapse structures.
Who Should Attend?
Geology students and enthusiasts interested in volcanology and igneous geology.
Outdoor explorers and photographers who love dramatic Highland landscapes.
Anyone curious about Scotland’s fiery geological past.
No previous geology experience required — just good walking boots and a sense of wonder.
Event Details
📍 Location: Ardnamurchan Peninsula, Highland
🗓️ Dates: Friday 26th June (10:00) to Sunday 28th June 2026
⏰ Duration: 2-3 days
🎟️ Price: £350pp from Glasgow or meet us there on Saturday and Sunday for £300pp includes guided tour and transport in an 7/8 seater Volkswagen transporter. Does not include accommodation that has to be booked separate in and around Kilchoan for both nights. For those who don’t mind camping there’s a campsite outside Kilchoan.
Places you will see:
The Scottish Highlands
Loch Lomond
Glencoe and Ballachullish
Strontian
Ben Haint
Ardnamurchan Lighthouse
Sanna bay
Ardnamurchan Caldera
Kilchoan
Rock Units You will see:
Ardnamurchan central complex (3 different centres) - granite through to gabbro
a variety of igneous rocks, textures and structures
Basaltic cone sheets and ring dykes
Adrnamurchan lava formation
Vent Agglomerates and tuffs
Granophyre intrusions
Moine supergroup (meta-sedimentary rocks) - schist, gneiss
Dalradian supergroup (meta-sedimentary rocks) - slate, phyllite, schist
Caledonian granites (strontian, Glencoe)
Rhyolite and andesite (Glencoe)
Why Join This Tour?
Led by the expert and engaging @ScottishGeologist, this tour offers the chance to walk through the core of a long-dead volcano, read the rocks like pages in a story, and discover why Ardnamurchan is one of Europe’s geological treasures.
Book Your Ardnamurchan Volcano Tour Today!
Feel the pulse of ancient magma chambers and explore the plumbing of Scotland’s volcanic past — only at Ardnamurchan.
Scotland in Miniature: A Geology Tour of the Isle of Arran with @ScottishGeologist
Join @ScottishGeologist for an inspiring geological tour of the Isle of Arran, often called “Scotland in Miniature” because it showcases almost every type of rock and geological process found across the country. From ancient ocean crust found In north Glen Sannox along the Highland Boundary fault line to folded meta-sediments that were deformed during the Caldeonian orogeny (mountain building) to the granite mountains, fossil-rich sandstones, and famous unconformities, Arran is one of the best places in the world to explore Earth’s story in a single island.
What to Expect
🌍 Deep Time on Display
Walk through hundreds of millions of years of Earth history in a single island, from Precambrian metamorphic rocks to Tertiary granites and dykes.
Understand why Arran is nicknamed “Scotland in Miniature”—its rocks represent almost every major stage of Scotland’s geological story.
🪨 Hutton’s Unconformity at Lochranza
Stand at the site where James Hutton, the father of modern geology, found one of his most famous examples of unconformity.
See how vertical Dalradian schists (c. 500–600 million years old) are overlain by much younger Devonian sandstones (~370 million years old).
Learn how this relationship gave Hutton evidence for “deep time” and the endless cycles of rock formation.
🌋 Igneous Geology: The Arran Granite and Beyond
• Explore the granite mountains of North Arran, intruded around 60 million years ago during the opening of the North Atlantic.
• Learn how slow-cooling magma deep underground produced the rugged Goatfell massif.
• Trace dyke swarms that cut through older rocks, part of the same magmatic activity that shaped Skye and Mull.
• See where igneous intrusions altered surrounding rocks by metamorphism (contact aureoles).
🧭 Structural Geology and Tectonics
Identify folds and faults in Dalradian metamorphic rocks.
Learn how these structures formed during the Caledonian Orogeny (~430 million years ago), when Scotland was part of a giant mountain belt like today’s Himalayas.
Discuss how later extension and volcanism reshaped the island
👣 Hands-On Exploration
Use simple field skills: sketching outcrops, noting sedimentary structures, and identifying igneous textures.
Compare rocks of very different ages side by side.
See how Arran acts as a “natural classroom,” ideal for connecting big geological ideas with real-world rocks.
🏜️🏝️Sedimentary Stories
Walk across Devonian Old Red Sandstone, laid down in rivers and desert basins when Scotland lay near the equator.
Visit Carboniferous rocks with limestones, sandstones, and shales, packed with fossils of corals, crinoids, and plants, evidence of warm shallow seas and swampy deltas.
Examine the Permian sandstones of southern Arran, deposited in arid desert conditions, their vivid red colour still striking today.
Who Should Attend?
Geology enthusiasts and students eager to see world-famous outcrops.
Walkers, families, and nature lovers looking to understand Arran’s landscapes more deeply.
Anyone curious about James Hutton and the birth of modern geology.
No prior geological knowledge needed—just sturdy footwear and a sense of curiosity!
Event Details
📍 Location: Isle of Arran, Firth of Clyde
Pick up: from Glasgow or meet us there
🗓️ Dates: Friday 28th August (10:00) to 30th August 2026 (19:00)
⏰ Duration: 3 days
🎟️ Price:
£330pp from Glasgow.
£295pp meet us there.
(Includes guiding, transport and ferry tickets. Accommodation is not included - please book accomodation within a 5 mile radius of Brodick)
Places we will visit:
Brodick
Corrie
North Glen Sannox
Arran geopark
Lochranza
Blackwaterfoot (drumadoon)
Kildonan
Rock Units you’ll see:
Dalradian metasedimentary rocks including psammite, pelite and semipelite with a variety of different textures and folds
Highland border complex
Devonian old red sandstone including sandstone, siltstone and conglomerate
Carboniferous sedimentary and volcanic rocks including sandstone, mudstone, limestone, basalt and tuff as well as a reptile footprints and marine fossils
Permian new red sandstone supergroup
Volcanic mafic and felsic intrusive and extrusive rocks from the paleogene
Why Join This Tour?
Arran has been called a “geological textbook” in the field, and with @ScottishGeologist as your guide, you’ll explore its unconformities, volcanoes, fossils, and glacial landscapes in a way that connects science, scenery, and story.
Book Your Arran Geology Tour Today!
Uncover the island where Scotland’s geology comes together—and where the science of deep time was born.
Upcoming Workshops
Did you Know…
That Scotland has some of the oldest rocks in Europe? Click below to find out more about the geological history of Scotland.
Let’s work together
Buy Me a Coffee
Support @scottishgeologist by contributing today. Each contribution helps Luisa create the educational content she loves creating.
