NW Highlands of Scotland - new book

A Geological Excursion Guide to the North-West Highlands of Scotland Edited by Kathryn M. Goodenough and Maarten Krabbendam, co-published with Edinburgh Geological Society.
The area covered largely corresponds to the North-west Geopark.The 16 excursions:
• Loch Assynt and the Achmore Duplex
• A Transect through the Canisp Shear Zone,
   Achmelvich
• Stoer Group at Stoer Peninsula
• Stoer Group at Enard Bay
• Ullapool River, Creag nam Broc and Glen Achall
• Knockan Crag and the Knocken Klippen
• Traligill and Bealach Traligill
• Conival and Ben More Assynt
• Glen Oykel and the Loch Ailsh Pluton
• Cam Loch, Ledmore and the Loch Borralan Pluton
• Glencoul
• Scourie Mor
• Tarbet
• Durness, Balnakeil Bay and Faraid Head
• The Moine Thrust Zone at Loch Eriboll
• Roadside Stops around the North-west Highlands
Advice is given on travel and accommodation.
£15.99 - available from website, bookshops or contact the publisher on 0131 247 4083. Bulk order/trade discounts available.
This is the companion volume to An Excursion Guide to the Moine Geology of the Northern Highlands of Scotland by Rob Strachan, Ian Alsop, and Suzanne Miller at £17.99, available as above, as is A Geological Excursion Guide to Rum by C H Emeleus and V R Troll at £12.99.
Those of you with young geologists in mind may be interested in Scottish Rocks and Fossils by Alan and Moira McKirdy, aimed at 7-11 year-olds at £5.99.

Pregnant lizard - 120 million years old

A 120-million-year-old fossil is the oldest pregnant lizard ever discovered, according to scientists. The fossil, found in China, is a very complete 30cm (12in) lizard with more than a dozen embryos in its body. Researchers from University College London, who studied the fossil, say it was just days from giving birth when it died and was buried during the Cretaceous period. The fossil is especially interesting to scientists because it is a reptile that produced live young rather than laying eggs. Only 20% of living lizards and snakes produce live young, and this shows it is an ancient, if unusual, trait. The fossil comes from world famous rocks of the Jehol Group in north-eastern China, where the fine limestone there has been worn away to gradually reveal hundreds of exquisite specimens of dinosaurs, but also fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, plants and invertebrates. The mother lizard has been identified as a specimen of Yabeinosaurus, a large, slow-growing and relatively primitive lizard.
Click here for more details.

BBC and new Geology programmes

In case you have not been checking up on TV listings lately - BBC1 at 9pm Tuesday 19th July and Tuesday 26th July
Richard Hammond (Top Gear) is off on a Journey to the Centre of the Planet this week and a Journey to the Bottom of the Ocean next week.

Mendip Rocks

Somerset Wildlife Trust has organised Mendip Rocks, an exciting series of geological events, trips and talks in Somerset over August and September, exploring the diverse geology of Somerset and it's relationships to Somerset's wildlife, habitats and historical buildings. 

New Bath geological map

Did you know that the new BGS 1:50,000 geological map of Bath (sheet 265, Bedrock and Superficial) is due to be published during the summer? The actual date will probably be announced on the website. The website is well worth investigating - lots of good info.

Reminder - South Devon Linear Walk

At the moment, there are not enough people interested in this trip (see previous post) to make it viable. Please note that the final date for the minimum number of enrolments is Sunday 24th July (2 weeks time).
Please let Nick Chidlaw, know if you are interested in attending by that date.
Also note that Nick's trips are always very well planned and very enjoyable!

Linear Geological Walk: Dartmoor to Bolt Tail

Linear Geological Walk: Dartmoor to Bolt Tail to be led by Dr. Nicholas Chidlaw
- This is a privately-arranged trip and does not involve any other organizations (e.g. a University) – no question paper at the end!!
- Dates: Sunday 11th – Tuesday 13th September inclusive. Three-day format.
- Reason for these specific dates: on the 2nd day, we cross the River Erme at low tide c. 1 pm using the established ‘South West Coastal Path’.  On the 3rd day we cross the River Avon by small passenger ferry (available only until end of September). Saturday 10th September can be used as a travel day to get to the start point of the walk, but those in work will need to take holidays Monday 12th, Tuesday 13th (and possibly Wednesday 14th if home area is some distance from the field area).
- Reason for ‘linear walk’ format: very effective way of studying landforms and underlying geology in areas where there is plenty of change in these aspects; a fuller understanding of the landforms and geology can be gained by walking a route essentially at right- angles to the grain of the ‘country’ rock and examining exposures en route. This is a format that has been tried out with adult ed. students at Bristol University, is popular and has worked well. Idea is that you carry your overnight belongings etc in a rucksack – contents would be lightweight and kept to a minimum. Water bottles can be replenished each night. Pubs / cafés are included for short breaks during each day.
- The proposed walk crosses the ‘grain’ of part of the Variscan Orogenic Belt in South Devon: beginning near the S end of Dartmoor, and working south to the coast at Bigbury Bay, then along the coast to Bolt Tail west of Salcombe.
- Geology covered: Hemerdon Ball Granite (offshoot of Dartmoor Granite), metamorphic aureole / metallic mineralization around margin of the latter; deformed basinal metasediments (mainly turbidite sandstones and slates) and interbedded mafic bodies; major strike-slip fault of the Start-Perranporth Line; mica schists and hornblende schists of the Start Complex (possibly lateral equivalent of part of the Lizard Complex).
- Logistics: 3 day walk. Approx total distance walked 15 – 20 miles; many stops en route to examine geology / landforms. Vehicles would be left at a secure location (arrangement made in advance) near the beginning of the walk. Coach / minibus and driver arranged in advance to pick up field party at a stated location and return to the secure parking location. B&B accommodation to be arranged in advance: in / near Yealmpton (end of 1st day); in /near Ringmore / Bigbury village (end of 2nd day).
- Tuition fee: £69.00 per person.  Cost of hired coach / minibus and driver would be divided between attendees and paid in advance. There is a small charge for the Avon passenger ferry which is paid on the day of the crossing.
- Attendees would be insured against accident for the duration of the trip.
If you find the proposal of interest and are able to attend, please let me know, sending in your tuition fee by Sunday 24th July. In order for the trip to be viable and to work effectively, enrolled numbers will need to be a minimum of 10, and a maximum of 20.
I will contact those who have enrolled shortly after Sunday 24th July, to inform them whether the trip can be put on or not; if the former, arrangements will need to be made soon after for overnight accommodation, and transport (see below); if the latter, cheques will be returned to those who have sent them in shortly afterwards.
Contact: Dr. Nicholas Chidlaw.