Take a walk to explore Edinburgh’s geology

Leaflet - Pentland RocksThe city of Edinburgh is well known for its spectacular scenery. As spring approaches we invite you to get outdoors and explore some local geology, to discover how it underpins the scenery and the ways that people have lived here and used geological resources over thousands of years. The Lothian and Borders GeoConservation group have published over 30 leaflets that explain the geology of local sites of interest across Edinburgh and the Lothians. You can take a walk along the coast at Cramond or Dunbar, for instance, or  head inland to the wonderful varied geology of the Pentland Hills.

View the full collection of Lothian and Borders GeoConservation leaflets and download them here

New Walker’s guide to Coigach & Assynt

New from the Northwest Highlands UNESCO Global Geopark, a Walker’s Guide to Coigach & Assynt. The book explores 26 walks selected by the local community with over 110 stunning colour photographs, maps for each route, and information about the local history and geology. The walks range from short strolls to mountain adventures – so there’s something for everyone. It also includes a foreword by mountaineer Sir Chris Bonnington.

If you’re looking for a Christmas gift for fans of the Geopark and the North West Highlands, or perhaps just looking for inspiration for your next adventure in 2022, take a look at the Walker’s Guide in the Geopark’s online shop. For UK orders we recommend ordering by December 15th for delivery in time for Christmas.

https://www.nwhgeopark.com/shop/

New book Earth Lines: Geopoetry and Geopoetics

The Edinburgh Geological Society and partners are delighted to launch a new book Earth Lines: Geopoetry and Geopoetics edited by Patrick Corbett, Norman Bissell, Philip Ringrose, Sarah Tremlett, Brian Whalley. Earth Lines grew out of a Geopoetry event hosted by the Geological Society of London on 1 October 2020, and is a compilation of poetry and essays on the broadest theme of geoscience.

More details of the publication, including a selection of audio and video recordings of some of the poems and poets featured in Earth Lines, including some additional poems and a geopoetry map, are available on the dedicated Earth Lines page of this website.

The online launch, part of the Scottish Geology Festival, took place on Friday 1 October 2021 – view the event recording here.

Earth Lines is now available to buy from our publications section – click here.

Beasts Before Us – The Untold Story of Mammal Origins and Evolution

Beasts Before Us – The Untold Story of Mammal Origins and Evolution by palaeontologist Elsa Panciroli charts the emergence of the mammal lineage, Synapsida, beginning at their murky split from the reptiles in the Carboniferous period, over three-hundred million years ago. They made the world theirs long before the rise of dinosaurs. Travelling forward into the Permian and then Triassic periods, we learn how our ancient mammal ancestors evolved from large hairy beasts with accelerating metabolisms to exploit miniaturisation, which was key to unlocking the traits that define mammals as we now know them.

Elsa criss-crosses the globe to explore the sites where discoveries are being made and meet the people who make them. In Scotland, she traverses the desert dunes of prehistoric Moray, where quarry workers unearthed the footprints of Permian creatures from before the time of dinosaurs. In South Africa, she introduces us to animals, once called ‘mammal-like reptiles’, that gave scientists the first hints that our furry kin evolved from a lineage of egg-laying burrowers. In China, new, complete fossilised skeletons reveal mammals that were gliders, shovel-pawed Jurassic moles, and flat-tailed swimmers.

This book radically reframes the narrative of our mammalian ancestors and provides a counterpoint to the stereotypes of mighty dinosaur overlords and cowering little mammals. It turns out the earliest mammals weren’t just precursors, they were pioneers.

Beasts Before Us is available to EGS members at 20% off (rrp) – use the code BEASTS20 at  www.bloomsbury.com/beastsbeforeus

Urban Nature Map for Edinburgh – with built-in geology!

The Edinburgh Geological Society is delighted to have supported the production of a new map for Edinburgh, the Urban Nature map, and contributed a geological perspective to a unique resource that celebrates the best of our wonderful city. You can read more about the map here – www.urbangood.org/blogs/urban-good-news/urban-nature-maps-for-edinburgh-and-glasgow, and this page also includes links to buy the new Edinburgh and Glasgow maps.

Do check out the amazing atlas on the reverse of the map, including some geological info below, and lots of useful and interesting maps, diagrams and data to encourage people to think and explore.

This panel and much more is available at https://www.urbangood.org/pages/edinburgh-urban-nature-map-resource

 

New book: the Changing Outer Hebrides, by Frank Rennie

Members and friends of the Edinburgh Geological Society might be interested in a new book, written by Frank Rennie, about sense of place in the Outer Hebrides. Frank is a member of EGS and has previously lectured to us. He is Professor of Sustainable Rural Development, Assistant Principal (Research, Enterprise, and Development) at the University of The Highlands and Islands.

The Changing Outer Hebrides – Galson and the meaning of Place is a fascinating and intimate account of the inter-relationship between one small island village in the Hebrides and the wider world. From the formation of the bedrock 3 billion years ago, to the predictable near-future, the layers of this unique landscape are explored. The social history of the people is closely interwoven with the natural environment in a journey of deep mapping to consider the meaning of special places. Through the Iron Age and the Clearances to the contemporary events of community land ownership, a portrayal is given that challenges the perception that this is a remote place, isolated at the edge, but instead is crucial to our contemporary relationship with the land.

Published by Acair in 2020, ISBN: 9781789070835.

https://www.acairbooks.com/categories/non-fiction-titles/all-non-fiction/the-changing-outer-hebrides.aspx

EGS Publications

Publications orders: free postage for UK members

EGS PublicationsSince we are not able to gather for lectures this winter, all orders from EGS members in the UK for Excursion Guides and Books from our online shop will be posted for free. Members also benefit from a 20% discount on all purchases.

Head over to the Excursion Guides and Books page to browse the wide selection on offer, from poetry to the geology of the Moine. You may well find a gift for yourself or someone else!

Sorry this offer is only available to EGS members in the UK. Not a member? That is easy to rectify  – Join Us!

 

Resources for self-guided fieldtrips & home isolation

These are strange times that we are living through at the moment and which is meaning changes to the life rhythms of even the Edinburgh Geological Society. As you probably aware, we had to cancel our AGM which was due to be held on the 18th March 2020. The next casualty will be our field excursion programmes on both Wednesday and Saturdays over the spring/summer months.

In the meantime, the Society is keen to keep supporting its members and the general public in any way it can. Some ways which we can do this is as follows:

1. Here is a link to the many leaflets produced by our Lothian & Borders Geoconservation Group (LBGC), describing all of the manner of geological features in the local area, which can be self-guided using the information provided. We owe it to all our current and former members of these groups who have prepared these resources to use them at this time. But remember – if going out alone to always let someone know where you are going and when you are expected back. Happy exploring!

2. Our Publication Sales Officer, Don Cameron stands ready to supply you with one of our Excursion Guides (and EGS members get a 20% discount). You can browse the selection in the Publications section of the website, and Don will respond as quickly as possible to any orders he receives. So, lets and try and pick up one of those guides we never quite had time enough to read! If you do find a good geology book (which includes our own publications), let me know and we will endeavour to post reviews on the website. We also welcome Members’ photos (not too many) which we can upload to the website as well.

3. The entire run of The Edinburgh Geologist is available online. That is 67 issues since 1977! Plenty to keep you entertained in that lot. And if you want to go further back in the past, EGS members have access to the entire Transactions of the Edinburgh Geological Society via the Lyell Collection. The Transactions cover almost 100 years (1868 to 1963) with over 800 articles.

Here’s hoping you can at least have a good read and maybe the odd trip out in the coming weeks,

Take care all,

Neil Mackenzie, Honorary Secretary secretary@edinburghgeolsoc.org

 

Front cover of guide

Moine Guide – reprinted 2018

News from our Publications Sales Officer, Don Cameron is that the Moine Guide has now been reprinted.  He has a good stock of guides available for EGS members at the reduced price of £14.40.  The non-members rate is £17.99.  Please contact Don if you would like to purchase a copy.

Front cover of guide

Front cover of Moine guide

 

Geological Excursion Guide to the Stirling and Perth Area.

Review of Stirling & Perth Excursion Guide

Geological Excursion Guide to the Stirling and Perth Area.

Geological Excursion Guide to the Stirling and Perth Area.

The Society was very pleased to see a great review by Tom Bradwell of one of our recent publications: A Geological Excursion Guide to the Stirling & Perth Area –  by Mike Browne and Con Gillen, published in the Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association.

“This is a well composed and thoughtfully illustrated guide from the first page. A valuable opening chapter summarises the geology of the whole area, starting in the Precambrian (Dalradian) and spanning the Devonian, Carboniferous and ending in the Quaternary. With up-to-date references, bespoke maps and useful cross-sections this chapter is an excellent summary of the geological history of central Scotland in 20 pages. Going beyond more than a ‘regulation’ summary, this chapter is an authoritative but succinct review of the stratigraphy of the whole region. As such it represents an excellent synthesis, built around the editors/authors’ considerable experience in this field, worthy of publication alone.

The remainder of the book, exactly 200 pages, contains 18 colour-coded chapters each describing a separate geological excursion. The excursions are carefully chosen to reflect a wide variety of rock types, landscapes and walking abilities. They are geographically well distributed within the area covered by the guide.”

Read more online at Science Direct … http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016787816300943