Luing, minor quarries, Easdale slate belt, Scotland: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 14:29, 26 July 2021

From: Richey, J.E. and Anderson, J.G.C. 1944. Scottish slates. Wartime pamphlet No. 40. London : Geological Survey of Great Britain.

Other quarries on the Island of Luing

Map of Easdale slate belt with inset map showing outcrops near Oban. P519820.

(P519820)

South Cuan Quarry

A small quarry in the 25-ft raised-beach platform is in operation 150 yds. S.E. from the S. quay at Cuan Ferry at the N. end of Luing, on the croft of the quarry-owner, Mr. J. Brown, South Cuan. The working has been driven a short way above high-water mark along and inland from the line of the shore. A fair amount of slate-rock has been taken out. The thicker seam contains a bluish-grey slate with fairly large pyrites crystals, although the crystals usually cleave through, and do not pull out when the slate is split. The other seam lies immediately west of the thicker seam. It is a darker slate and rather softer in quality, with very small pyrites crystals, recalled the Balvicar slates. Large slates, double the size of large-size slates, are at present being produced in some quantity for Iona Cathedral, in addition to the ordinary sizes.

Reserves for the present rate of working are abundant, to judge by the width of the raised-beach platform which lies to the extension of the present quarry. Further, for practical reasons, slate-rock has not so far been taken out to depth. There is practically no overburden and even at the surface the slate-rock is only slightly ‘browned’ by weathering.

Port Mary Quarry

A quarry formerly in operation is situated 360 yds. N.E. of Port Mary near the N. end of Luing and 500 yds. W. 40º N. of the S. quay at Cuan Ferry. It was driven in the cliff of the 25-ft. raised beach. The slate contains exceptionally large crystals of pyrites. The cleavage dips E. 28º S. at 60º to 65º. At the E. (inland) end of the quarry the bedding is vertical or slightly overturned, with strike directed N. 10º E. – S. 10º W. Near the floor of the quarry the beds flatten out abruptly and come to incline in an undulating manner towards the west, in which direction the slate-bed exploited was continued.

Quarry at Black Mill Bay, West of Toberonochy

Slates were quarries at one time to the south of Black Mill Bay on the W. coast of Luing a mile W. of Toberonochy. The quarries were situated in the 25-ft. raised-beach platform south-east from the pier at Rudha Cuil. A road runs from the pier to join the Toberonochy-Cuan Ferry road (a distance of 1 m.) at a point 600 yds. N.W. of Toberonochy village.