13th July 2006,   Thursday
ARRAN - CLAUCHLANDS
Tour:  self            
Weather: showers and some sunshine

Summary of Visit

A visit was made to look at the Permian desert sandstones between Brodick and Lamlash on Arran.  The dykes and sills of the area were also examined.

 

The Clauchlands Sill (top) and the "Great Pitchstone" Sill (bottom), intruding Permian sandstones between Clauchlands Point and Corrygills Point.  The Clauchlands Sill is about 40 feet thick, and the Great Pitchstone Sill about 12 feet.
  The northern end of the "Mile Dyke", looking towards the granite hills around Goatfell.  This dolerite dyke runs parallel to the shore for almost a mile.  Here, it occupies the hollow and has been eroded, leaving the adjoining baked sandstones standing out as wall features.
  The pitchstone of the Great Pitchstone Sill, an extremely fine grained, bottle-green rock, with a resinous lustre.  It contains scattered needles of microlites and feathery growths made up of small crystallites in a glassy matrix.
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