British regional geology: Northern Highlands of Scotland

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The British regional geology: Northern Highlands of Scotland has been converted to a series of articles for this wiki. The book is available for purchase at the BGS Online Shop Its full reference is:

Johnstone, G S and Mykura, W. 1989. British regional geology: Northern Highlands of Scotland. Fourth edition. Keyworth, Nottingham: British Geological Survey.
Northern Highlands regional guide cover image. P894490.
Northern Highlands regional guide cover image. P894490.

Contents

Introduction

Boundaries of the area
Physical features
Scenery
Summary of the geology

Lewisian

Foreland Lewisian: The Mainland
Foreland Lewisian: The Hebrides
Lewisian inliers east of the Moine Thrust

Torridonian

Lower Torridonian
Upper Torridonian

Cambrian and Ordovician

Eriboll Sandstone Group
An t’Sron Group
Durness Group

Moine and Outer Isles thrust zones

Moine Thrust Zone
Outer Isles Thrust Zone
Geophysical data
Models for Moine and Outer Isles Thrust Zones development

Moine Succession

Lithology
Stratigraphy

Structure and metamorphism within the Northern Highlands Caledonides

Structure
Regional metamorphic grade

Early igneous activity within the Caledonides, Northern Highlands of Scotland

Early basic rocks
Migmatites
Early Caledonian igneous rocks
Early granites
Syenites
Basic and intermediate rocks

Younger Caledonian igneous rocks

Alkaline intrusions of Assynt and Ben Loyal
Newer Granites
Granitic vein complexes
Caledonian minor intrusions

Old Red Sandstone

Lower Old Red Sandstone
Middle Old Red Sandstone
Upper Old Red Sandstone

Post-Caledonian igneous activity

Late-Caledonian
Permo-Carboniferous
Tertiary activity

Carboniferous

Mesozoic

New Red Sandstone
Jurassic
Cretaceous

Pleistocene and Recent

Evidence for events peripheral to or pre-dating the last glaciation
Last Glaciation
Raised beaches
Other late-Glacial and post-Glacial events

Faults and seismicity, Northern Highlands of Scotland|Faults and seismicity

Faults
Seismicity

Economic minerals

Metallic ores
Non-metallic minerals

Selected bibliography

Foreword to the fourth edition

The first edition of the Regional Handbook to the Northern Highlands was published in 1936; for the subsequent editions in 1948 and 1960 the text was updated, but not extensively revised. Since that time there has been a tremendous increase in research into all aspects of the geology of the Northern Highlands and it has become necessary to produce a completely new text. The present handbook gives a fuller treatment of the geology of the Outer Hebrides than the previous editions, and of the deep structures of the crust beneath the Northern Highlands. Unfortunately lack of space has permitted only brief references to the geology of the seas around northern Scotland; it is hoped that this will be treated in more detail in another publication.

The greater part of the handbook was written by Mr G. S. Johnstone, who is the author of Chapters 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 16, and most of Chapter 7.

Dr W. Mykura wrote chapters 10 and 13, Ur J. D. Peacock Chapter 14, and Dr J. R. Mendum Chapter 5. Dr D. J. Fettes wrote most of Chapter 2 and the section on the metamorphic zones in Chapter 7, and Dr D. I. Smith contributed to the writing of Chapters 8, 9, 11 and 13. The account of seismicity (Chapter 15) was written by Drs C. W. A. Browitt and R. M. W. Musson. The handbook was edited by Dr Mykura.

The authors wish to acknowledge the help received from their colleagues in BGS. Dr F. May read the chapters dealing with the Moine and its intrusions, Mr P. J. Brand checked the fossil names appearing in Chapters 4, 10, 12 and 13 and produced the fossil plates (Plates 24 and 25). The block diagram illustrating the palaeogeography of the Helmsdale Boulder Bed (P915502) is based on a diagram by Dr C. E. Deegan. Particular thanks are also due to Professor P. E. Brown, who made available his chapter on ‘Caledonian and earlier magmatism’ prior to its publication in ‘The Geology of Scotland’ (2nd Edition). Many of the figures in the text are based on ones published previously, and the authors thank the following for permission to use or adapt their diagrams: Dr A. D.Stewart (P915465), (P915467), (P915468), Dr G. E. Williams (P915465), Drs M. P. Coward and J. H. Kim (P915469), Drs J. A. Brewer and D. K. Smythe (P915470), Dr M. R. W. Johnson (P915469), Dr D. Powell (P915474), Drs D. Wilson, J. Shepherd and R. I. Harker (P915478), Professor I. Parsons (P915481), Dr R. N. Donovan (P915489), Dr J. M. Speight and others (P915494 and P915495), Dr D. Evans and others (P915496), Dr R. Steel (P915497), and Dr R. M. Sykes (P915499 and P915501).