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
Saturday Excursions 2022
Saturday 23 April, 9am to 4pm Lower Devonian fossil sites in Angus
Leader: Bob Davidson, Aberdeen University
We will visit some of the most important sites of historic interest in the correlation of Lower ORS fish beds. Outcrop visualisation, possible collecting and discussion of the history of research will take place at a number of locations in Angus including Balruddery Glen and Tillywhandland Quarry. A coach will be provided for this excursion, leaving Waterloo Place at 9am, cost £20 per person. Because of the logistics of the excursion, all participants are expected to join the coach.
Unfortunately this excursion has been cancelled. We hope to offer it again next year.
Excursion Information (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Saturday 28 May, 9am to 4pm Historical Lead-Zinc Mining at Wanlockhead
Leaders: Jon Evans, Mining Museum and Ian Kearsley, EGS
Lead mining started Wanlockhead in the 17th century and continued intermittently until 1958. Along with Leadhills, this was one of the most important areas of Lead-Zinc mineralisation in Scotland. We will visit the spectacular Mining Museum, go underground to see the Lochnell vein, visit the renowned Miner’s Library and mine dumps at Glencreiff and in Whyte’s Cleuch. At the old smelter site we will consider remediation work planned to reduce the impact that mining has had on the River Nith catchment. A coach will be provided for this excursion, leaving Waterloo Place at 9am, cost £10 per person. An additional £10 fee will go towards the Museum’s upkeep (Adult admission would normally cost £22).
Excursion Information (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Saturday 4 June, 9am to 4pm Eyemouth and Burnmouth Coast, Scottish Borders
Leader: Alastair Robertson, Edinburgh University
This excursion will consider the demise of the Iapetus Ocean and the birth of the Midland Valley, looking at the sedimentary, volcanic, structural and palaeontological setting of the Silurian/Devonian to early Carboniferous in south-east Scotland.
Excursion Information (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Saturday 18 June, 10am to 3pm Kinghorn Volcanic Formation, Fife
Leader: David Stephenson, EGS
This excursion will examine a well-exposed, almost complete section through the Late Visean KVF, composed mainly of basalt lavas with thin beds of pyroclastics and volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks. There are fine examples of columnar jointing, hyaloclastite and pillows, all erupted from small volcanic cones on land close to sea level, as evidenced by interbedded fossiliferous limestones.
Excursion Information (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Saturday 2 July, 10am to 4pm Burntisland, Fife
Leader: Dr Katie Strang, EGS and Scottish Geology Trust
We will visit the coastal geology west of Burntisland where sediments of the Pittenweem Formation are exposed, with associated volcanics and tuffs (Dinantian to early Westphalian sills of the Lothians and Fife), that sometimes yield nice agates. The second part of the excursion will focus on the Sandy Craig Formation, looking at old quarries to the north of the town with historic sandstone and limestone workings.
Excursion Information (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Saturday 16 July, 10.30am to 4pm South Queensferry to Hound Point (joint with Geological Society of Glasgow)
Leader: Richard Smith, EGS
Starting from the slipway opposite Hawes Inn, we will view the bridges then continue eastwards to Hound Point to examine the Carboniferous sedimentary and igneous rocks along the coast. High tea will be arranged in South Queensferry.
Excursion Information (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Wednesday Evening Excursions 2022
Wednesday 4 May, 6-9pm Petershill Quarry, Bathgate
Leaders: Katie Strang and Gary Hoare
We will examine the sedimentology and palaeontology of the SSSI at Petershill. The sediments of the Lower Limestone Formation are interbedded with basaltic tuffs and lava flows which make up the Bathgate Hills Volcanic Formation, and likely correlates with the Main and Mid Hosie Limestones.
Excursion Information (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Wednesday 18 May, 7-9pm Aberlady, East Lothian
Leader: Mike Browne, EGS
We will examine the Carboniferous limestones of the Aberlady and Lower Limestone Formations. The two main units exposed are the Middle Longcraig Limestone and the Hurlet (Upper Longcraig) Limestone. Small faults influence the distribution of the strata. The excursion will commemorate the life of David McAdam, who loved the geology of East Lothian and served our Society for many years in key positions.
Excursion Information (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Wednesday 1 June, 7-9pm North Berwick Law, East Lothian
Leaders: Fiona McGibbon, EGS and Meryl Norris, Countryside Ranger, East Lothian Council.
This excursion will examine outcrops of phonolite in the quarry on the south flank of the Law and on the ascent to the summit. Variations in mineralogy and texture will be noted as well as jointing. The overall shape of the landform (crag and tail) will be demonstrated. Panoramic views of Fife, the Lothians and beyond await at the summit, as well as the remains of several episodes of occupation. Conservation and land management aspects of the Law will be discussed.
Excursion Information (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Wednesday 22 June, 6.30-9pm Siccar Point/Pease Bay, Scottish Borders
Leader: Bob Gatliff, EGS
Siccar Point is described as the most important geological site in the world. It demonstrates an unconformity between two sets of strata and was used by James Hutton to support his world-shaking ideas of geological time and natural processes. We will look at the structure and sedimentology of the older Silurian and younger Devonian sediments. At Pease Bay we will see an excellent exposure of the Devonian sediments.
Excursion Information (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Wednesday 20 July, 7-9pm Whinny Hill and Dunsapie Crag, Holyrood Park
Leader: Angus Miller, EGS
Explore the ash layers and basalt lava flows of the Arthur’s Seat volcano, which form Whinny Hill in the east of Holyrood Park. We will climb to the summit of Whinny Hill, viewing various lava flows and some minor intrusions, and descend via Dunsapie Crag.
Excursion Information (pdf file) | Booking Information and Code of Conduct & Safety Guidelines
Long and Weekend Excursions 2022-23
Weekend Excursion: The Geology of Coire Glas, Loch Lochy 19-21 August 2022
Leader: Graham Leslie, BGS
Coire Glas, northwest of Loch Lochy, is a proposed pumped hydro storage scheme with a potential capacity of up to 1500MW, which will more than double the UK’s existing electricity storage capacity.
The bedrock geology of the region comprises two principal lithological units, separated by a faulted boundary. NW of this fault, strata are assigned mainly to the Upper Garry Psammite Formation of the Moine. To the SE, the bedrock is thoroughly cataclastic and assigned to the Great Glen Fault. Fracture fillings range from granite to dolerite, as well as fault-breccia and a wide range of other cataclastites of various ages. Carbonate mineralisation occurs in the fault damage zones and there are many minor intrusions, both Caledonian age and Carboniferous dolerite.
The group will be based around Invergarry, meeting on Friday evening for two full days in the field. Day 1 is potentially a strenuous hill walk involving 800-900m of ascent. For further information, contact the Excursion Secretary Ian Kearsley who will advise when bookings will be taken. Places will be limited to around 15, and once booking opens will be allocated on a first come basis.
Long Excursion 10-16 May 2023: Isle of Man
Long Excursion to the Isle of Man 2023
David Quirk and Dr David Burnett have kindly agreed to lead the EGS Long Excursion to the Isle of Man in 2023, postponed since 2020. Leaving Edinburgh on Wednesday 10 May, returning on Tuesday 16 May 2023. Contact Anne Burgess, preferably by email to longexcursion@edinburghgeolsoc.org, or by letter to 21 Woodside Place, Fochabers IV32 7HE. All emails will be acknowledged, so if you do not get a response within a couple of days, please try again.
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.