Minerals of Scotland
ISLE
of SKYE |
Mineral
Collecting THE STORR |
|
THE OLD
MAN of STORR |
| Isle
of Skye - Geology & Geomorphology An Introduction The Tertiary
lava flows on the Island of Skye are generally only a few
meters thick, and attain a maximum of around The geomorphology of northern Skye is the result of erosion, both past and present, on these Tertiary volcanic lavas and also, in some cases, on the underlying Jurassic sediments. A variation in the nature of the
flows, such as slaggy surfaces in some and columnar
jointing in others, |
THE STORR - A
Panoramic View. |
| THE STORR More individual and localised effects of erosion have created the most impressive natural features to be seen on the island. These include The Quiraing, Kilt Rock and perhaps the most well-known of all, The Storr and it's "Old Man". The Storr is an escarpment composed of Tertiary basalt lavas resting on Jurassic sediments - primarily shales. At its base is a malaise of
rocks and pinnacles, right - A general panorama of the
rock-strewn surface |
|
THE STORR - A view of cliff face & rock scree slopes. |
THE STORR - "The Old Man of Storr". |
THE STORR: Minerals & Collecting The Storr area is readily accessible from Portree (A855), the main centre on the island. It is about 6 miles to the north of the town. The location, with its basaltic ridge and cliffs, is impressive, as is the rock pinnacle called "The Old Man of Storr". This isolated, obelisk-like, pointed rock rises about 150-160 feet from the surface. This area is a classic and well-trodden collecting site on the island. Consequently, specimen quality is variable. Nevertheless, there is material of interest to collect. The Storr is the
type locality for gyrolite, a calcium silicate mineral
species commonly found associated |
APOPHYLLITE - The Storr, Isle of Skye. Semi-transparent,
prismatic crystals to c.5mms |
GYROLITE - The Storr, Isle of Skye. A
ball-like group of gyrolite plates with glassy
apophyllite, |
| Minerals
recorded from The Storr include: Zeolites: Other Silicate
species: Carbonates: All
photos by Fabrizio Frattini, |
The Old Man of
Storr - An Artistic
Expression. |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
For permission to publish
their photographs and for making this page possible,
this website wishes to thank Fabrizio Frattini, David McCallum
& Mike Wood.
|
introduction |
MOONEN BAY |
TALISKER BAY |
SGURR NAM BOC |
© Minerals of Scotland website - 2008.