Nation’s first festival celebrating Scotland’s incredible geological story

SCOTLAND’S first Geoheritage Festival exploring the country’s ‘incredible’ geology begins this month as part of the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.

Thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Scottish Geodiversity Forum has been working on ‘Revealing the stories in the rocks: raising awareness of Scotland’s outstanding geoheritage’ - a project to highlight and promote the 51 Best Places to see Scotland’s Geology, launching at Edinburgh’s Dynamic Earth on Saturday October 14. The Geoheritage Festival is a culmination of this project, taking in many of Scotland’s famous and unique geological sites, as well as hidden gems.

There will be chances to explore areas of great natural beauty across the country, including a walk to the Sgurr on Eigg on October 9, the Parallel Roads of Glenroy on October 7-8, Glencoe on October 9 and 16, Faraid and Muir of Dinnet NNR and canoeing on Loch Lurgainn.

Lochaber is home to an exceptional variety of different types of rock, with a range of ages stretching back three-billion years, and there will be a talk on the area’s rocks and minerals at Lochaber Geopark Visitor Centre on Monday October 16 followed by a children’s fun day on Friday October 20.

There will be chance to hunt for fossils in East Lothian, evidence of ‘snowball earth’ in Islay, and ‘Scotland’s Rock Story’ at Aberdeen Science Centre.

More information about the festival can be found at www.scottishgeology. com/geoheritage-festival/.