The geology of the Isle of Arran
Schedule
Fri, 28 Aug, 2026 at 08:00 am to Sun, 30 Aug, 2026 at 07:00 pm
UTC+01:00Location
Arran | East Kilbride, SC
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Scotland in Miniature: A Geology Tour of the Isle of Arran with @ScottishGeologistJoin @ScottishGeologist for an inspiring geological tour of the Isle of Arran, often called “Scotland in Miniature” because it showcases almost every type of rock and geological process found across the country. From ancient ocean crust found In north Glen Sannox along the Highland Boundary fault line to folded meta-sediments that were deformed during the Caldeonian orogeny (mountain building) to the granite mountains, fossil-rich sandstones, and famous unconformities, Arran is one of the best places in the world to explore Earth’s story in a single island.
What to Expect
🌍 Deep Time on Display
Walk through hundreds of millions of years of Earth history in a single island, from Precambrian metamorphic rocks to Tertiary granites and dykes.
Understand why Arran is nicknamed “Scotland in Miniature”—its rocks represent almost every major stage of Scotland’s geological story.
🪨 Hutton’s Unconformity at Lochranza
Stand at the site where James Hutton, the father of modern geology, found one of his most famous examples of unconformity.
See how vertical Dalradian schists (c. 500–600 million years old) are overlain by much younger Devonian sandstones (~370 million years old).
Learn how this relationship gave Hutton evidence for “deep time” and the endless cycles of rock formation.
🌋 Igneous Geology: The Arran Granite and Beyond
• Explore the granite mountains of North Arran, intruded around 60 million years ago during the opening of the North Atlantic.
• Learn how slow-cooling magma deep underground produced the rugged Goatfell massif.
• Trace dyke swarms that cut through older rocks, part of the same magmatic activity that shaped Skye and Mull.
• See where igneous intrusions altered surrounding rocks by metamorphism (contact aureoles).
🧭 Structural Geology and Tectonics
Identify folds and faults in Dalradian metamorphic rocks.
Learn how these structures formed during the Caledonian Orogeny (~430 million years ago), when Scotland was part of a giant mountain belt like today’s Himalayas.
Discuss how later extension and volcanism reshaped the island
👣 Hands-On Exploration
Use simple field skills: sketching outcrops, noting sedimentary structures, and identifying igneous textures.
Compare rocks of very different ages side by side.
See how Arran acts as a “natural classroom,” ideal for connecting big geological ideas with real-world rocks.
🏜️🏝️Sedimentary Stories
Walk across Devonian Old Red Sandstone, laid down in rivers and desert basins when Scotland lay near the equator.
Visit Carboniferous rocks with limestones, sandstones, and shales, packed with fossils of corals, crinoids, and plants, evidence of warm shallow seas and swampy deltas.
Examine the Permian sandstones of southern Arran, deposited in arid desert conditions, their vivid red colour still striking today.
Who Should Attend?
Geology enthusiasts and students eager to see world-famous outcrops.
Walkers, families, and nature lovers looking to understand Arran’s landscapes more deeply.
Anyone curious about James Hutton and the birth of modern geology.
No prior geological knowledge needed—just sturdy footwear and a sense of curiosity!
Event Details
📍 Location: Isle of Arran, Firth of Clyde
Pick up: from Glasgow outside costa coffee, 50 George square, Glasgow city centre or meet us there
🗓️ Dates: Friday 12th June (10:00) to 14th June 2026 (19:00)
⏰ Duration: 3 days
🎟️ Price:
£330pp from Glasgow.
£295pp meet us there.
(Includes guiding, transport and ferry tickets. Accommodation is not included - please book accomodation within a 5 mile radius of Brodick)
Places we will visit:
Brodick
Corrie
North Glen Sannox
Arran geopark
Lochranza
Blackwaterfoot (drumadoon)
Kildonan
Rock Units you’ll see:
Dalradian metasedimentary rocks including psammite, pelite and semipelite with a variety of different textures and folds
Highland border complex
Devonian old red sandstone including sandstone, siltstone and conglomerate
Carboniferous sedimentary and volcanic rocks including sandstone, mudstone, limestone, basalt and tuff as well as a reptile footprints and marine fossils
Permian new red sandstone supergroup
Volcanic mafic and felsic intrusive and extrusive rocks from the paleogene
Why Join This Tour?
Arran has been called a “geological textbook” in the field, and with @ScottishGeologist as your guide, you’ll explore its unconformities, volcanoes, fossils, and glacial landscapes in a way that connects science, scenery, and story.
Book Your Arran Geology Tour Today!
Uncover the island where Scotland’s geology comes together—and where the science of deep time was born.
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Where is it happening?
Arran, East Kilbride, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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