The Beaches of Scotland: A selected guide to over 150 of the most beautiful beaches on the Scottish mainland and islands. 2022 By Stacey McGowan Holloway. Vertebrate Publishing. 186 pp. Softback and ebook. £20 RRP. ISBN 9781839810787 Disclosure: Stacey, the…
Blog Archives
Urban Geology meets Urban Nature Maps
Edinburgh is a great city to be a geologist in. So much rock is exposed within the city bounds and there is a considerable variety in lithology, if not geological age. While the commanding heights of the seven hills (Arthur’s…
Tagged with: Edinburgh, Geodiversity, map, Social Good, urban nature
Posted in Book reviews, Edinburgh, Geodiversity, Geological Walks (urban), Maps, Scotland, Woodlands
Posted in Book reviews, Edinburgh, Geodiversity, Geological Walks (urban), Maps, Scotland, Woodlands
The evidence of craggers not seen
Under lockdown, I’ve followed my renewed interest in climbing outdoors by visiting my local crags in southern Edinburgh. We are exceptionally lucky, as Blackford Hill contains two cragging sites, as well as the bouldering problems associated with Agassiz Rock. Even…
Edgelands in North Lanarkshire
Edgelands are those places that are on the periphery of urban sites. The concept was wonderfully explored in a book of the same name by Paul Farley & Michael Symonns Roberts and has become a pervasive enough concept to warrant…
An unexpected Pavement Palaeontology bonanza at Straiton retail park
Earlier in the week I was out checking out another prospect for work, as expedition trips are few and far between just now, when I stumbled upon the stone cladding used on the Next Store. I don’t have any call…
Lochan nan Arm: legends, translations and a bit of geomorphology
I’ve quite a long association with the area around Tyndrum in the Western Highlands. I first visited as part of one of my undergraduate projects when I was doing my geology degree related to past mining activity and then went…
Fossil plants in the Fossil Courtyard for Fossil Friday
That’s a lot of fossils in a title! I’ve decided to do a short blog post on the Fossil Courtyard in the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh (RBGE), one of the network of national botanic gardens in Scotland. The Fossil Courtyard…
Contributing to ‘Exploring the Environment’ MTA/AMI workshop, Stirling, April 20th 1000-1600
With the help of a number of other MTA and AMI members, I’ll be helping out at a CPD workshop for outdoor leaders who are members of the two Associations in the Stirling and Bridge of Allan area. I’ll be…
Do try this at home: Taphonomy with the kids’ toys
Another dinosaur excavation kit, accompanied by a fine selection of supporting materials, appeared in the house among the Christmas presents. The block with the plastic remains of the inevitable T. rex was larger than usual. And that made all the difference…
Bavelaw
Wintery conditions have finally arrived in the lower hills in the Central Belt of Scotland. In the Pentlands the snow is lying but azure polar skies and mists as the sun gains strength afforded some spectacular views today while I…
Hills of Hame 