Geology
Excursions
We organise excursions
from springtime to autumn:
including day, evening
and residential excursions.
The Geology Excursion Programme features a range of events, including our core programme of day excursions and local evening excursions, led by a geologist with expert knowledge of the locality.
Read the Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines and find out how to book your place
If you have been on the waiting list for a Saturday excursion (cost £5) and have been offered a place on the excursion, you can pay for your ticket via WebCollect – webcollect.org.uk/edinburghgeolsoc/event/excursion-ticket.
Saturday Excursions 2021
Saturday 3 July, 10am to 3pm Charlestown, Fife
Leader: Katie Strang
The main aim of this excursion will be to look at the history of the lime industry in Charlestown and the importance of the local geology to its success. The principal seam worked in Fife was the Blackhall Limestone of the Lower Limestone Formation. As well as its economic importance, the Blackhall Limestone also contains a rich and diverse fossil assemblage.
Excursion details (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Saturday 17 July, 10am to 3pm Yellow Craig and the Weaklaw Vent, East Lothian
Leaders: Angus Miller, David Stephenson, Brian Upton
This excursion will look at two contrasting sets of volcanic rocks: an earlier sequence of Lower Carboniferous welded ignimbrites and lava flows, part of the Garleton Hills Volcanic Formation, which is cut by a late Carboniferous vent at Weaklaw. This vent contains lava splatter and volcanic bombs containing ultramafic xenoliths that have been pervasively metasomatized by carbonic fluids. We will visit both sets of volcanic rocks and explore the wider context of the area’s volcanic activity and later alteration.
Excursion details (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Saturday 31 July, 10.30am to 5pm Gasswater Barite Mine, East Ayrshire
Leader: Graham Leslie
This excursion was cancelled last year so we are pleased to be able to offer it again. Barite mineralisation has been worked in the past at a number of locations in the western part of the Midland Valley. This excursion will examine the setting and nature of the mineralisation at Gasswater mine: a series of NW-SE trending trenches and other mining features on the northeast bank of the Gass Water, East Ayrshire. Mining took place there between 1920 and 1964. The workings and spoil heaps will be examined to determine the style and associations of the mineralisation.
Excursion details (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Saturday 14 August 10.30am to 4pm Arbroath to Auchmithie
Leader: Al McGowan
Again, this planned excursion was cancelled last year. We will follow the coastal trail starting from the car park in Arbroath north eastwards to Auchmithie. The focus will be on Upper and Lower Devonian sandstones and conglomerates, and their interaction with coastal erosion to produce a spectacular suite of geomorphological features.
Excursion details (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Saturday 21 August, 10.30am to 4pm Dob’s Linn, near the Grey Mare’s Tail, Dumfries and Galloway
Leader: Tom Challands
This excursion will visit the world famous Ordovician-Silurian Boundary Stratotype and the graptolite fauna associated with this globally important section.
Excursion details (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Saturday 11 September, 10am to 3pm Seafield Shore, Kirkcaldy
Leader: Ian Kearsley
The aim of this excursion will be to examine the Lower Limestone Formation, the Limestone Coal Formation and igneous intrusions on the shore between Seafield Tower and Tyrie breakwater. We will consider the various limestone beds and their fauna also evidence for sill emplacement and structural features.
Excursion details (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Saturday 9 October, 10am to 3pm St Baldred’s Cradle, East Lothian
Leader: Fiona McGibbon
This excursion offers excellent exposure of Lower Carboniferous sedimentary rocks intruded by alkaline igneous rocks – sill, plug, dykes – including some ash with evidence of phreatomagmatic activity and other textural features. The trip offers a good opportunity to bring together the regional geological story.
Excursion details (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Wednesday Evening Excursions 2021
Wednesday 9 June, 7pm to 9pm Eddleston Water, Scottish Borders
Leaders: Al McGowan and John Preston
A look at the work of re-meandering the Eddleston Water, a tributary to the River Tweed. River restoration work is being undertaken to explore natural flood management tools. This active geodiversity site (and possible new SSSI) is an impressive demonstration site that is very accessible.
Excursion details (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Wednesday 23 June, 7pm to 9pm Cramond Island, Edinburgh
Leader: Angus Miller
Cramond Island is formed from a dolerite sill that dips to the west. The dolerite is analcime-bearing olivine dolerite (teschenite) similar to that at Corstorphine Hill. We will see clear evidence of glacial erosion and survey the wider landscape and islands.
Excursion details (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Wednesday 7 July, 7pm to 9pm Bavelaw, Pentland Hills
Leader: Richard Smith
Explore the landscape and bedrock geology in an area of the Pentland Hills south of Balerno. Starting at Threipmuir, the excursion follows a glacial drainage channel through Silurian-age sedimentary rocks and past the micro-granite of the Black Hill.
Excursion details (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Wednesday 21 July, 6pm to 9pm Joppa Shore, Edinburgh
Leader: Robert Gatliff
This popular excursion will look at the Upper Limestone Formation, Passage Formation and Lower Coal Measures (Carboniferous) sequence exposed along the shore between Eastfield and Joppa. The strata are on the western limb of the Midlothian syncline with several well exposed faults.
Excursion details (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Wednesday 4 August, 7pm to 9pm Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags
Leader: Angus Miller
This excursion will explore the rocks of the Arthur’s Seat vent, including volcanic breccia and intrusions, and the dolerite of Salisbury Crags. These two rocky edifices complement each other and perfectly illustrate the contrast between two types of basaltic igneous rock – extrusive and intrusive. As a final bonus we will visit one of the youngest rocks in Edinburgh – a dyke that cuts through the Crags near the Cat’s Nick.
Excursion details (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Wednesday 18 August, 7pm to 9pm Wardie Shore, Edinburgh
Leader: Tom Challands
For those who missed out last year this is another opportunity to visit an area of north Edinburgh which has been a favourite with geologists and paleontologists since the early 19th century. The excursion will explain the recent work done at Wardie and view a new information board installed by EGS and the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
Excursion details (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
** Most useful reference ** Volume 16: Fossil Fishes of Great Britain Chapter 9: British Carboniferous fossil fishes sites
Site: WARDIE (GCR ID: 1370) available here
Long and Weekend Excursions 2021-2022
Weekend Excursion 18-19 September 2021: Northumberland Coast
Weekend Excursion: Northumberland Coast
Leader: Ian Kille
This weekend field trip will explore the Carboniferous sedimentary sequences of the North Northumberland coast at Howick and Cocklawburn. We will explore these rocks to understand how the Early to Middle Carboniferous palaeogeography developed in this region, including a look at the fossil assemblages to be found in them. We will also examine how the strata developed through syn-depositional tectonics as well as the later Variscan influence on the area, including the magmatism that created the iconic Whin Sill. The trip will also give an opportunity to explore the area’s geodiversity, including its rich industrial heritage.
The party will be based in Berwick, meeting there on the Friday evening and spend two full days in the field. If you are interested in joining this excursion, contact the Excursion Secretary Ian Kearsley who will provide additional information and advise when bookings will be taken. Places will be limited to around 10 and once booking opens, will be allocated on a first come basis.
Long Excursion 10-16 May 2022: Isle of Man
Long Excursion to the Isle of Man
We intend to run the Long Excursion to the Isle of Man (originally planned for May 2020) in 2022. The leaders will be David Quirk and David Burnett, and the provisional dates, to fit in with the tides, are Tuesday 10 to Monday 16 May 2022 (five days in the field plus travelling there and back).
WGS/CGS Excursion 14-21 May 2022: Anglesey
WGS/CGS Excursion to Anglesey
There are a few places available for EGS members on the excursion to Anglesey organised by Westmoreland and Cumberland Geological Societies and led by Graham Leslie. Expressions of interest to Susan Beale c/o Ian Kearsley.
EGS Online Excursions
Our YouTube Channel | Online Excursions Playlist
Subscribe to EGS YouTube channel
EGS Online Excursion 2020 Dalkeith Building Stones with Tom Challands
EGS Online Excursion 2020 Kinghorn-Kirkcaldy with Ian Kearsley
EGS Online Excursion 2020 to Joppa Shore with Robert Gatliff
Geological Excursions organised by other Societies in Scotland
The Geological Society of Glasgow
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.
Planning Geological Excursions?
You may find these online tools from the British GeologIcal Survey and Ordnance Survey are useful.