| Home |
| Day Walks - About the walks - Walk details - Book a walk |
| Holidays |
| Courses & Talks |
| Arthur's Seat |
| Education |
| Links & Resources |
| Gallery |
| Blog |
| About Geowalks |
| Contact details |
Walks Programme 2008
|
The Walks Programme offers a variety of opportunities to join me and explore the rocks of central Scotland in short, informal day walks. This year I'm celebrating 10 years of Geowalks, which was launched in April 1998. For the first two years I concentrate on Arthur's Seat, branching out in 2000 for the first "Walks Programme" of 5 walks along the Lothian Coast. Over the years the programme has expanded. This year over 20 walks are on offer including many of the best places in east Scotland to discover the story of our geological past, and a mix of some of my favourite walks and a few new adventures - I hope you will find something that appeals! See the About the walks page for more information. Advance booking is advised for all walks as numbers are limited for safety reasons. Information about each walk is available about 10 days in advance on the Walk details page, and is sent out to everyone who has booked. Most walks last for 4-5 hours, including a lunch stop. The walks at the beginning and end of the programme are "Short Walks", which last 2-3 hours. See below for more information about each walk. Hope to see you 'on the rocks' sometime soon! Angus Miller, Geowalks
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
A gentle start to the season exploring two of Edinburgh's hills, Craiglockhart and Blackford, to discover two discrete periods of volcanic activity, the red and the grey – at different times, the area experienced different types of volcanic eruption; pyroclastic flows and explosions covering the land with grey lava and ash in the Devonian Period, and then later more placid volcanoes erupted red lava flows in the Carboniferous. SHORT WALK duration 3 hours, cost £7 per person |
| ||||
|
A short walk along the rocky coastline to the north of Aberlady, where a range of sedimentary rock layers are exposed. They formed during the Carboniferous Period,when this part of Scotland was affected by varying environmental conditions, sometimes covered in warm seas or buried under the detritus washed from the mountains by huge rivers. SHORT WALK duration 3 hours, cost £7 per person | |||||
|
St Abbs is a unique part of the coast, formed from andesite lava flows of an ancient volcano. This is very different rock from the Iapetus Ocean greywacke sedimentary rocks that are found to the north and south and are common across the Southern Uplands. The lava flows of St Abbs form gently sloping ledges, ideal nesting sites for seabirds. DAY WALK duration 4-5 hours, cost £10 per person |
| ||||
|
This quiet bay, close to Barn's Ness and Torness, is fringed by limestone layers rich in fossils, and other sedimentary rocks that are testament to rapidly changing conditions as they were formed.. SHORT WALK duration 3 hours, cost £7 per person | |||||
|
Within sight of the buildings of north Edinburgh this is a remarkably quiet stretch of coast, with beautiful sandy beaches and rocky headlands made of different varieties of igneous rocks. Starting from beneath the Forth Rail Bridge we walk east along the shore of the Firth of Forth, past Dalmeny House and Eagle Rock. DAY WALK duration 4-5 hours, cost £10 per person | |||||
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL 25 March - 5 April 2008Tickets for these events must be booked in advance from the Science Festival box office, www.sciencefestival.co.uk or phone 0131 524 9830.
A walk through city streets and into Holyrood Park, exploring the story of twin volcanoes that erupted 340 million years ago and formed the hard rock of Castle Hill, Arthur’s Seat and Calton Hill – rock masses that dominate the centre of Edinburgh and have been instrumental in creating the character of the city.
Explore the rocky headland of Dunbar, and discover how the shape of the land and the coastline is related to different rocks, formed millions of years ago by various processes. We'll find the remains of volcanic vents and layers of sedimentary rocks formed in quieter times before the volcanoes erupted.
| |||||
|
The eastern end of the Lammermuir Hills is made of a thick layer of conglomerate, laid down by vast rivers in Devonian times. Recent erosion by ice and water has left fantastic gorges and valleys and plenty of exposed rock. DAY WALK duration 4-5 hours, cost £10 per person |
| ||||
|
Fife's twins are the site of ancient volcanoes, with a thick layer of intrusive dolerite forming the high ground between them. Starting in the village of Falkland we'll climb gently through a quiet wooded valley into the open moorland and the volcanic vent of East Lomond. DAY WALK duration 4-5 hours, cost £10 per person | |||||
|
Explore the steep cliffs at Fast Castle, north of St Abbs Head. The rocks represent the remains of the Iapetus Ocean, and the layers of greywacke sandstone contain many clues to the story of their formation on the ocean floor. DAY WALK duration 4-5 hours, cost £10 per person |
| ||||
|
Monday: Aberdour
- Kircaldy Come for the whole week, or a day walk - further details | |||||
|
My favourite walk! A traverse of this beautiful stretch of East Lothian coast takes us through the remains of several volcanoes, telling a story of moving magma and exploding vents. Starting at Seacliff near Tantallon, we work our way south round rocky headlands and along the stretch of Ravensheugh Beach, finishing at the Tyne estuary. DAY WALK duration 4-5 hours, cost £10 per person |
| ||||
|
A traverse of the Bathgate Hills from Bathgate and Linlithgow, passing a host interesting features, including fossil coral reefs, silver mines, the Cairnpapple archaeological site and a unique geological viewpoint. DAY WALK duration 4-5 hours, cost £10 per person | |||||
|
The hidden gem of Scottish geology, where ancient rocks are laid bare and you can stare into "the abyss of time". James Hutton found proof here to support his theory of an ancient earth - evidence still clearly visible over 200 years later. We'll start at Siccar Point and walk south along the coast to find further exposures of the two rock types that Hutton found. DAY WALK duration 4-5 hours, cost £10 per person | |||||
|
A short, but rocky and wild stretch of coast takes us back through time. Starting at Cove Harbour we find sandstones and other rocks of Carboniferous age, and then work south round the corner to the Old Red Sandstone of Pease Bay. Walk details... DAY WALK duration 4-5 hours, cost £10 per person |
| ||||
|
The best fossil site in the Lothians, this short section of coast gives a fascinating insight into the changing environmental conditions that produced a variety of sedimentary rocks, including thick layers of fossil-rich limestone. Walk details... DAY WALK duration 4-5 hours, cost £10 per person | |||||
|
The wildest stretch of the Borders coast lies between Fast Castle and St Abbs Head - where steep cliffs of greywacke sandstone fall to the North Sea, fringed by headlands and rocky beaches. Walk details... DAY WALK duration 4-5 hours, cost £10 per person | |||||
|
The beautiful sandy beaches of this stretch of East Lothian's coast are surrounded by a variety of igneous rock, the result of varied volcanic activity in the Carboniferous Period. Walk details... DAY WALK duration 4-5 hours, cost £10 per person |
| ||||
|
One of this area's most impressive pieces of rock, Traprain Law is a laccolith, a mushroom-shaped intrusion that deformed layers of sedimentary rock as it squeezed in close to the surface. SHORT WALK duration 3 hours, cost £7 per person | |||||
|
A short stretch of the Fife Coastal Path introduces us to an amazing array of rocks. We begin on lava flows, pass through many sedimentary layers, including fossil-rich limestone, and it's all topped off with two flavours of dolerite. SHORT WALK duration 3 hours, cost £7 per person |
| ||||
|
The Pentlands are made from various igneous rocks that formed during volcanic eruptions in Devonian times. These resistant rocks have withstood erosion to create a varied range of hills. This short walk doesn't take us high up, but gives an introduction to the varied rocks of the area. SHORT WALK duration 3 hours, cost £7 per person | |||||
|
Edinburgh's river has a varied character, reflecting the underlying rock and dramatic episodes of erosion associated with the melting of glacial ice. This short walk explores the river upstream from Craiglockhart Dell to Colinton. SHORT WALK duration 3 hours, cost £7 per person |
| ||||
Home Day
Walks Holidays Courses
& Talks Arthur's Seat
Education Links
& Resources Gallery
Blog About Geowalks
Contact