This the first of two field trips presented by the Geological Society of London, as a contribution to the celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the Geological Society of America. The trip is open to everyone who wishes to attend, including non-fellows of the Society.

The Tertiary igneous centres of the NW Highland and Islands of Scotland have provided the starting point for much of our understanding of petrology. Classic studies like that of Harker (Skye) and Emeleus (Rum), have unravelled the inner workings of volcanic plumbing systems and their products. This fieldtrip, based on the Isle of Skye, explores two of these great igneous centres, on  foot and by boat and will look at layered igneous rocks, sills/dykes, lava flows and explosive volcanism, amongst the backdrop and beauty of the Inner Hebridean isles of Skye and Rum. Everything from textures to the wide expanse of flood basalts and beyond will be covered, with something for everyone’s volcanic tastes.

Excursion Leaders

Dougal Jerram

Kathryn Goodenough (British Geological Survey)

Val Troll (Uppsala University)

Itinerary outline

Monday 27 May: Travel from Inverness through Glen Shiel and arrive in Portree, Isle of Skye.
Tuesday 28 May: Trotternish peninsula, sediments, shallow intrusions, lavas and landslides. Today’s highlights will include the spectacular landslipped lavas of the Quiraing and the Old Man of Storr, the layered sill at Duntulm Castle, and Kilt Rock.
Wednesday 29 May: The Central Cuillin and boat trip along cliffs, visiting the inside of the Skye volcano (with seals and other wildlife). This stunning boat trip takes us right into the core of the Cuillin magma chamber at Loch Coruisk, with superb examples of magma chamber structures.
Thursday 30 May: Lavas of Talisker Bay and North West Skye, including distillery tour. Beautiful coastal cliffs at Talisker allow us to see a wide range of incredibly well-preserved lava features.
Friday 31 May: A taste of Rum....Day trip to the Isle of Rum igneous centre! This boat trip to one of Scotland’s most dramatic islands will allow us to ivestigate the Rum layered series, one of the best examples of a layered gabbro magma chamber exposed anywhere in the world.
Saturday 1 June: Travel back to Inverness with scenic stops and castles en route (Accommodation not included for this night)

Images

Click on the links below to see images of some of the sights on this trip.

Loch Coruisk

The Old Man of Storr

Kilt Rock

Layering, Isle of Rum

The Mountains of Rum

Further Information

The cost per participant for this excursion is 650 GBP. This includes:

• Premium accommodation with breakfast for 5 nights (27 - 31 May) *
• Transportation in the field (excluding to and from Inverness **)
• 2 boat trips (one within the Cullins complex on Skye and the other to access Rum by boat from Elgol)
• A copy of the field guidebook

*In order to accommodate as many attendees as possible, and to keep costs to a minimum, most of the accommodation has been booked on a twin-room sharing basis.

**Participants will need to make their own travel arrangements to get to and from Inverness. There are direct flights from London to connect with international flights and also a rail service (including sleeper accommodation, but not over Saturday night).

The fieldtrip will end a day before a second excursion, ‘Structure and tectonics of the NW Highlands of Scotland: from deep crust to hydrocarbon reservoirs’  led by Rob Butler et al, which begins in Inverness on Sunday 2 June. For individuals wishing to participate in both excursions, we would arrange a day’s geology, local to Inverness, at minor additional charge. We will help find accommodation in Inverness on 1 June, but participants will need to cover this cost.

Registration

Registration for this trip is now closed. If you would like to be added to a waiting list then please email Naomi Newbold.  

Main photograph: Black Cuillin. Sgurr na Stri and Blaven from the summit of Sgurr Dubh Mor with Strathaird and Sleat in the distance. G.S Johnstone, supplied by NERC

The Geological Society of America are also holding the following events which you may be interested in:

Roof of the World - Joint Scientific Meeting of the Geological Society of China and The Geological Society of America, 17-19 June 2013