Argyll and the Islands: A Landscape Fashioned By Geology

The parallel roads of Glen Roy are one of Scotlands natural wonders. The origin of these remarkable shorelines on the hillsides of Glen Roy, Glen Gloy and Glen Spean has been a source of great fascination to local people, visitors and scientists alike – even attracting the interest of Charles Darwin. This book tells the story of how the parallel roads formed and reveals a fascinating picture of how ice age glaciers and ice dammed lakes shaped of the west highlands.

For it’s size, Scotland has the most varied geology and natural landscapes of any country on the planet. The creation of it’s natural landcape is a fascinating story, told with authority and clarity by Alan Mckirdy andRoger Crofts.

Scotland: The Creation Of It’s Natural Landscape provides a wealth of information on how Scotland was created and the events which took place there through the aeons. But the story doesn’t stop back in the mists of time: it continually unfolds and the book provides up to the minute information on the geological events taking place beneath our feet. It also provides a history of geological science and highland the enormous contribution Scots geologists have given to the world.

This book tells the geological story of a landscape that was at the heart of Scotlands industrial revolution, a story that has been several hundred million years in the making. The patchwork of rocks forming the landscape of the Glasgow and Ayshire area tells us about the dissapearence of and ancient ocean and times when sandy deserts, shallow trolpical seas, vast coal swamps and lava from volcanic eruptions covered the evolving landscape. Worn and moulded by ice sheets, the modern landscape continues to change though river and coastal erosion and human activity.

A geological landscape guide to the area of Loch Lomond to Stirling including photos and illustrations along with detailed descriptions, published by the BGS (British Geolgical Survey)

The rugged, wild, mountainous landscape of Rum owes its creation to a geological history that stretches back nearly 3000 million years. For such a small island the range of scenery is remarkable – from the jagged peaks of Askival and Hallival in the east, to the rounded hills of Orval and Ard Nev in the west and the flatlands of Kinloch Glen. The spectacular panorama from Rum encompasses the sloping back bone of Eigg, the rich green pasture of diminutive Muck and the caved basalt coastline embracing Canna and the low lying Sanday. Held together by the sea, these islands combine a richness of landform, colour and texture with the ever changing light and dramatic weather. Find out how this mecca for geologists was formed over millions of years in this riveting tale and ocean, volcanoes and glaciers.