Geology
Excursions
EGS organise geology excursions
from springtime to autumn
on Wednesday evenings
and Saturdays.
EGS organise geology excursions
from springtime to autumn
on Wednesday evenings
and Saturdays.
The 2017 Excursions programme allows you to experience the superb range of geology that southern Scotland has to offer. Create a map of a volcano, find some amazing fossils, stroll through Scotland’s biggest hole … or go on an evening excursion to a local castle and explore the historical links between landscape, resources and people.
Click on the tabs below for details, dates and links to full information on each excursion.
For general information on How to Book and the Code of Conduct and Safety Guidelines, click here.
Visits and Beginners’ Events
Sunday 19 March, 2-4 pm
Discover Edinburgh’s Geology Meetup
An introduction to the geology of Edinburgh for beginners. This event in Holyrood Park is organised by Wild Reekie and EGS. Further details and booking.
9, 12, 15 April, 1-5pm
Edinburgh International Science Festival: Siccar Point
Follow the journey of James Hutton, the father of modern geology, from the site of his home in central Edinburgh to the wild coastline at Siccar Point. At this beautiful natural site Hutton’s evidence for deep time can be observed and appreciated. It is a short, easy walk to the viewpoint above Siccar Point. Visiting the Point itself involves a potentially difficult descent. Book directly with the Science Festival.
Tuesday 2 May, 10 am – 3 pm
Visit to the National Museums Collection Centre at Granton and afternoon excursion to Wardie Shore
The National Museums Collection Centre at Granton houses a huge collection of important mineral and fossil samples. The visit to the Collection Centre will allow small groups to explore in detail elements of the Palaeobiology and Earth Systems collections. This will be followed by an afternoon excursion to Wardie Shore, an important historical location for Carboniferous fossil fish. Link to further information.
Saturday Excursions
Saturday 3 June, 8.30 am (Joint excursion with the Geological Society of Glasgow)
Fintry Hills Leader: Con Gillen
Saturday 17 June, 10 am
St Baldred’s Cradle, East Lothian Leader: Fiona McGibbon
Saturday 1 July, 8 am (Joint excursion with Westmorland Geological Society)
Spireslack Opencast Coal Site, Ayrshire Leaders: Graham Leslie and Mike Browne
Saturday 29 July, 9 am
Berwick-upon-Tweed Leader: Alison Tymon
Saturday 2 September, 9 am
North Esk Inlier, Pentland Hills Leader: Ken Shaw
Saturday 30 September, 10 am
Holyrood Park Mapping Exercise Leader: Simon Cuthbert
Wednesday Excursions
Wednesday 19 April, 7 pm
Dalmeny Railway Cutting Leaders: Richard Smith and Beverly Bergman
Wednesday 3 May, 7 pm
Crichton Kirk, Castle and quarries Leaders: Mike Browne and Howard Turner
Wednesday 17 May, 7 pm
City Centre: Lothian Road, Castle Rock and the Lawnmarket Leader: Andrew McMillan
Wednesday 31 May, 7 pm
Craigmillar Castle Park Leader: Al McGowan
Wednesday 14 June, 7 pm
National Mining Museum
The National Mining Museum is based at the Lady Victoria Colliery at Newtongrange, just nine miles south of Edinburgh. It is one of the finest surviving examples of a Victorian colliery in Europe. This guided tour of the museum and pithead will explore the story of coal, find out what life was like for the miners and their families and view the massive winding engine – the largest steam engine in Scotland, and still in working order – which hauled men and coal up and down the pit shaft for nearly 90 years.
Wednesday 28 June, 7pm
EGS Residential Excursions
Each year, the Society organises two residential excursions: a week-long excursion in May, and a weekend excursion in the summer.
The 2017 Long Excursion will be to the Isles of Skye and Raasay, led by Dr Brian Bell of the University of Glasgow.
The itinerary will include as many and as much as possible of the following:
The Long Excursion is fully subscribed with a waiting list. Anyone wishing to be added to the list should get in touch with Anne Burgess, Long Excursion Organiser, longexcursion@edinburghgeolsoc.org.
The Rhins of Galloway contain excellent coastal exposures of the sedimentary rocks of the Southern Uplands, a sequence of near-vertical slices of Ordovician and Silurian sandstones with interbedded siltstone and mudstone. Emrys Phillips will lead this ‘hands-on’ field excursion where participants will be invited to explore outcrops in detail, observing and making measurements to develop a picture of the geological evolution of this part of Scotland. Participants can arrange their own accommodation to suit, preferably close to Stranraer. There will be a briefing meeting on Friday evening, and 2½ days fieldwork finishing at lunchtime on Monday. For further information and booking, contact weekend@edinburghgeolsoc.org.
EGS members are welcome to attend excursions organised by the Geological Society of Glasgow where spaces are available. Further excursion details from their web site. Members are reminded they are eligible to join the Glasgow Society as Associate Members.
For details about geological excursions in your own area of the United Kingdom, contact your local geological society.
We have listed some of them here >>
(If your society is not on our list, let us know.)
You may find these online tools from the British GeologIcal Survey and Ordnance Survey are useful.