The Scottish Naturalist. 



347 



THE GEOLOGrY OF THE HIGHLANDS, FROM MOUNT BATTOOK, 

 KINOAEDINESHIEE, TO THE VILLAGE OF EDZELL, AND 

 THENCE TO THE SEA AT ST. GYRUS. 



Friday, 25th July, 1890.— Mr. Robert Barclay, Secretary of the Mon- 

 trose Natural History Society, shortly explained this remarkable 

 section of the Earth's Crust, over which the excursionists passed 

 the previous day at the Burn, down the North Esk river side, and 

 which they continued to traverse at St. Cyrus. 



FROM Mount Battock (3000 feet high) to Edzell, a distance 

 of about 10 miles, the strata pass from horizontal to 

 vertical without apparent fault, lying conformably throughout; that 

 is to say, one goes from the Archaean Gneiss, resting upon the 

 granite of the mountain to the ancient sandstone at Gannochy 

 Bridge, a mile from Edzell, at which place the strata become 

 gradually horizontal. 



We have, therefore, here, within arm-embrace, as it were, the 

 whole geological formations which go to compose Highland 

 geology, viz., Granite, Archaean Gneiss, Porphyry, Hornblend 

 Schist, Mica Schist, Chlorite Schist, Slaty Schist, Limestones 

 and Traps, Quartzite, Great Conglomerate, and the very ancient 

 (Cambrian ?) Sandstone. All of these rocks are pre-palseozoic, so 

 far as we know. 



On leaving the transition slates, in going towards Edzell, we 

 pass over a series, 800 yards thick (vertical), of much indurated 

 sandstone or brown quartzite, then 400 yards of the Great Con- 

 glomerate, the same as stretches from Dunnottar to Dumbarton, 

 intensely hardened ; and this is followed by the ancient red sand- 

 stone (vertical), on to within a mile of Edzell, where it regains its 

 original horizontal position. This sandstone is dark red, and. 

 coarse-grained, and extends across Strathmore to Garvock Hill,, 

 where it is again raised to about 45 degrees, along with the Con- 

 glomerate, Quartzite and Limestone, thus becoming the counter- 

 part of the Burn sections so far. 



The brown quartzite noticed plays a great part over the surface 

 of the Highlands, Schiehallion being capped by it in horizontal layers, 

 while down that mountain on the north side it may be seen that 

 it is accompanied by the Great Conglomerate, and, farther down, 

 by the ancient sandstone, all having undergone much denudation. 

 This short description of Schiehallion will apply to the Hill of 



