Geology and Landscape in the Inner Hebrides

Edinburgh Geological Society's visit in May 2003

For anyone interested in Scotland's landscape, wildlife and history, the week's geology course on Eigg has lots to offer. Under the expert guidance of John Hudson and Ann Allwright, you learn to read the rocks of Eigg as if they were the pages of a history book that spans not two hundred, but two hundred million, years.

The oldest rocks tell of a time when what we now call Eigg was occupied by a shallow gulf of the sea. You will find fossils that show the waters teemed, from time to time, with fish, shellfish and swimming reptiles, such as plesiosaurs. Later the Earth's crust split open, releasing huge volumes of hot lava. Evidence for this activity is to be seen in the terraced nature of much of Eigg's landscape, each terrace being a lava flow.

The prominent Sgurr of Eigg, also volcanic in origin, has had geologists arguing from the nineteenth century to this day over exactly how it formed. One of them was Hugh Miller, the first to find a fossil plesiosaur on Eigg, in fact in the whole of Scotland. If you enjoy fine writing, take his "The Cruise of the Betsey" (1858) with you and marvel that the landscapes, geology and even some buildings (though now ruined) are still easily recognisable from his descriptions. Click here for details of a facsimile reprint of "The Cruise of the Betsy".

The shape of Eigg today is largely due to the last big geological event to affect it: the Ice Age. You will see how glaciers scoured away the softer rocks, leaving the harder ones, like that of the Sgurr, standing proud. Post-Ice Age features include raised beaches, left high and dry when the land, relieved of its burden of ice, rose towards its present height above sea level, and spectacular landslips.

As for the wildlife, there are eagles and skuas for the bird-watcher and, for the plant-hunter, carpets of wild flowers, a profusion of lichens on trees and rocks, and semi-tropical shrubs in the former garden of the one-time owner of Eigg; so go prepared with binoculars and magnifying glass. Other equipment you will need includes strong walking boots for the rough terrain and waterproof jacket and trousers.

Expect any kind of weather from hot and still (when the midges come out) to wet and windy. Whatever the weather, however, you can be sure that a warm welcome awaits you at the Glebe Barn, where the course is based. The generous hospitality and, especially, the good food provided by Simon and Karen Helliwell put the finishing touches to an absolutely superb week.

Christine Thompson

A satisfied customer of the Edinburgh Geological Society's week on Eigg in May 2003