Raasay, Inner Hebrides

Leader: Dr Brian Bell

Field days: Friday(afternoon)/Saturday/Sunday/Monday(morning)

The island of Raasay comprises a wide range of well-exposed rocks within the Hebridean Terrane, ranging from Archaean gneisses of the Lewisian Complex and the unconformably overlying Proterozoic clastic sedimentary rocks of the so-called Torridonian Supergroup, through to glacial deposits of the Pleistocene epoch. Mesozoic strata include various continental clastic sedimentary rocks, overlain by marine and estuarine deposits of the Lower and Middle Jurassic Period, including the Raasay Ironstone Formation. Palaeogene igneous activity resulted in both intrusive and extrusive units – lavas and granite. Pleistocene glacial activity produced diamictites and erratics, and striae on the harder rocks, while active landslips occur in the south-east of the island. This excursion aims to examine the entire range of rocks, and the industrial archaeology of the Raasay ironstone mine will also be addressed.

This trip is now fully booked. However, there is a waiting list. If you are interested please contact the Residential Excursions Secretary, Maggie Donnelly, at restrips@gsocg.org.