Minerals of Scotland
ISLE of SKYE Mineral Collecting Localities |
Mineral Collecting Localities LOREGILL |
|
Mineral collectors negotiate a hazardous coastal section at Loregill. |
| There are numerous
mineral locations with zeolite occurences in the northern
part of the Isle of Skye. Some of the major and most well-known are highlighted on other pages. There are however others not mentioned. Several of these render small specimens and/ or micro material. Additionally, some new locations
have been explored in recent times and some of these have
yielded interesting material for the collector. One site recently explored has been Lorgill/ Loregill, on the NW coast of Skye, just a few miles south of Moonen Bay. This isolated area is typical of some of the island's locations that bear checking out from the collecting viewpoint. |
LOREGILL, Isle of Skye. View of the
cliffs at Loregill. This area occupies a chapter in one
of the tragic historical events of Scottish history - |
|
SGURR nam FIADH Sgurr
nam Fiadh is located a few miles to the south of Talisker
Bay near the northern mouth of Loch Eynort. |
above - Approach to Sgurr nam Fiadh. right -
Waterfall over the cliff on the shore |
|
|
OLLISDAL GEO Ollisdal
Geo is located between Moonen Bay and Idrigill Point, and
south of Loregill, (OS
Map Ref. - NG 212 387). Specimens
obtained recently were characteristically off-white,
rhombic crystals to a few centimetres |
A view of the coast at Ollisdal Geo. |
Glen Brittle - Sgurr nam Cearcall (Cuillin Hills) This
area is near the southern edge of the lavas on the
island, just west of the impressive Cuillin Hills. These
have included hand specimens of prehnite occasionally
associated with native copper and connellite. The
prehnite occurs as lustrous, pale greenish micro-crystal
crusts as well as stalactitic growths. The latter habit a
result of the overgrowth and replacement of laumontite
crystals - akin to, though less distinct, as the
well-known examples from the Indian Deccan basalts around
Bombay. |
The Cuillin Hills, Isle of Skye. |
Sgurr nam Cearcall & Loch Brittle. |
|
All photographs courtesy of D. McCallum & M. Wood.
Photographs of examples
of the zeolites found at some of these sites
and from other locations on the Isle of Skye can be viewed on the
zeolite gallery pages.
|
introduction |
MOONEN BAY |
TALISKER BAY |
SGURR NAM BOC |
© Minerals of Scotland website - 2008.