leadhills & wanlockhead

COLLECTING

Collecting is possible at both localities, though some sites have been grassed over in recent years.
Permission is generally required from the owners of the estates.
Both localities, as in the case of county and region, also fall into different estates, despite their shared history and close proximity. Part of the area is a SSSI locality (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and subject to rules governing these sites.

LEADHILLS & WANLOCKHEAD: Quick Facts.

ALTITUDE
Wanlockhead is the highest settlement in Scotland,
pipping a site in Perthshire to the honour, by a few feet.

CLIMATE
Conditions are not particularly warm, but reasonable in the summer months. There is plenty of rain and during the winter, snow falls can be an important ingredient.
(Collectors take note).

ERUDITION
The first public lending library of the United Kingdom was at Leadhills - the Allen Ramsay Library, founded in 1741.
(See link on Leadhills main page or Site Links page)

ETERNAL LIFE
The oldest man to live in Scotland was from Leadhills.
He died at the early age of 132!!
He was a lead miner and is buried at Leadhills.

Straitsteps Mine
Museum of Lead-Mining, Wanlockhead

Straitsteps Mine entrance (foreground) and the hi-tech (of its day), wooden, beam engine (centre-right).
In the background, are some of the miners' cottages at Wanlockhead.
All form part of the Museum of Lead Mining at Wanlockhead (part of the Wanlockhead Museum Trust).

SPECIES LIST

Mineral species recorded from Leadhills & Wanlockhead
(including slag mineral species from Meadowfoot Smelter, Wanlockhead).
Unfortunately, only some are of general collector interest. Those in bold print are type locality species.

Aragonite, Aurichalcite, Azurite, Ankerite, Annabergite, Anglesite, Azurite, Barite, Bechererite, Beudantite, Brochantite, Cassedanneite, Cotunnite, Crocoite, Chrysocolla, Chlorite, Copper, Covellite, Calcite, Cuprite, Caledonite, Cerussite, Cobaltite, Chalcopyrite, Chenite, Chrysocolla, Descloizite, Devilline, Erythrite, Elyite, Fluorapatite, Fluorite, Goethite, Gold, Greenockite, Gypsum, Goslarite, Galena, Hydrocerussite, Hydrozincite, Hematite, Hemimorphite, Langite, Linarite, Litharge, Lanarkite, Lautenthalite, Leadhillite, Macphersonite, Malachite, Monohydrocalcite, Minium, Marcasite, Mimetite, Magnesite, Mattheddleite, Mottramite, Nickeline, Olivenite, Phoenicochroite, Psilomelane, Palygorskite, Pyrolusite, Plumbogummite, Posnjakite, Plattnerite, Pyrite, Pyromorphite, Quartz, Queitite, Rammelsbergite, Scotlandite, Siderite, Strontianite, Schmiederite, Serpierite, Stolzite, Sphalerite, Susannite, Tenorite, Titanite, Vanadinite, Vauquelinite, Witherite, Wroewolfite, Wulfenite, Veszelyite.
(List compiled from several sources. For general references, see main Leadhills-Wanlockhead page).

Leadhills - Wanlockhead Main Page	Ore & Gangue Species Galena, Barite, Sphalerite, Quartz, Calcite, Pyrite.	Secondary Lead Species Anglesite, Cerussite	Secondary Lead/ Copper Species Linarite
Main Site Links page	Secondary Lead Species Pyromorphite, Vanadinite, Descloizite, Minium	Type Locality Species Caledonite, Leadhillite, Lanarkite	Scottish Type Locality Species
Home page	Secondary Zinc Species Hemimorphite, Greenockite, Veszelyite	Copper Species Aurichalcite - Brochantite Malachite - Chalcopyrite	Galloway Region Dumfries & Kirkcudbright