The Woolly Mammoth, Mammuthus Primigenius, in Scotland

The Edinburgh Geologist

Magazine of the Edinburgh Geological Society Issue No 56 Autumn 2014 The Edinburgh Geologist Issue 56 Autumn 2014

Cover Illustration Borehole at West Mains Farm, Norham (scale in centimetres) showing lithologies of the Early Carboniferous Ballagan Formation, as described in the article by David Millward.

BGS images are reproduced by permission of the British Geological Survey ©NERC. Published September 2014 by The Edinburgh Geological Society (Charity registered in Scotland number SC008011) www.edinburghgeolsoc.org Editors Phil Stone Bob McIntosh [email protected] [email protected] British Geological Survey Murchison House West Mains Road Edinburgh EH9 3LA ISSN 0265-7244 Price £2 net editorial

Borderlands and back to the future

An editorial ramble by Phil Stone

There’s so much packed into this Scotland shares the stratigraphy of issue of The Edinburgh Geologist that the Carlisle Basin; in the east it’s the there is only space for a short ramble. Northumberland Trough. No surprise We go to press at the end of August, then that in David Millward’s article so by the time you receive your copy in this issue of EG, the lowermost of EG you will be either delighted Carboniferous stratigraphy of a or dismayed by the referendum critical sequence in Berwickshire was result. But not to worry, whatever the established by sinking a borehole in outcome it will not affect the geology, Northumberland. David provides a and geology has little respect for the progress update on the Tweed project, conceit of national boundaries. a multi-collaborative (yes, Scottish and English institutions) investigation Borderlands of tetrapod evolution based on some We tend to associate the Anglo- remarkable fossil discoveries in the Scottish border with the Iapetus Scottish Borders, as reported in EG 53. Suture, the large-scale result of an Early Palaeozoic act of union, but Not that long ago, the coastline the detail of cross-border outcrop is was as just as geologically irrelevant Upper Palaeozoic and Mesozoic. In the west,

Cross-border geology: an anticline in the Penton Limestone (Alston Formation, Yoredale Group) viewed from Scotland but exposed in the English bank of the Liddel Water at Penton Linns. BGS image number P221694.

1 editorial as the border. Andrew Kitchener’s geological icons, Our Dynamic article on mammoth remains from Earth. Stuart Monro describes Scotland recalls a time when these the developments there in his recently-extinct beasts could walk article featuring ‘Scotland’s Time here across what is now the North Lords’ — one of which was Charles Sea. It’s a welcome follow-up to the Lyell. I was amused to read in a exhibition at the National Museum of Geoscientist magazine1, that he was Scotland earlier this year, which has regarded by the ladies as something now transferred to The Natural History of a social liability. Emma Darwin Museum, London. That might explain thought him a ‘dead weight’ and why mammoths would seem to be wrote to her sister on 2 April 1839, the current celebrity monsters. Even “Mr Lyell is enough to flatten a party, Damian Hirst has got in on the act with as he never speaks above his breath, “Gone But Not Forgotten”, a 3 metre so that everybody keeps lowering their tall, gilded Woolly Mammoth skeleton tone to his.” In the large open-plan encased in a huge glass, gold-framed offices envisaged for the Charles Lyell tank. In May the work was auctioned Centre that could well be a trait that (for Aids charities) at the Cannes Film the occupants will need to emulate. Festival — it fetched 11 million Euros. In the meantime, perhaps we can now Back to the Future move on from constitutional obsession Whatever the future holds for the and refocus on the big issues: climate British Geological Survey in Scotland, change, resource depletion and there are going to be major changes to natural hazards to name just three its presence in Edinburgh. Murchison with geological connections. Stuart House, since 1976 the BGS base on Monro touches on these, as do our Edinburgh University’s King’s Buildings book reviews. Sue Loughlin considers campus, is scheduled to close early the impact of volcanic eruptions in 2016 with the staff moving out to in Iceland; Roger Kelly looks at the Riccarton, where a new ‘Charles Lyell achievements of ‘Paraffin’ Young and Centre’ will be shared with Heriot- Scotland’s first hydrocarbons boom. Watt University … more on this as the plans are finalised. 1 Morgan, N. 2014. Guess who’s coming There are also recent changes to to dinner? Geoscientist, 24 (5), 25. report at another of Edinburgh’s

2 drilling through romer’s gap

Drilling through Romer’s Gap — The TW:eed project borehole near Berwick-upon-Tweed

By David Millward

On the cold sunny morning of 3rd for Tetrapod World: early evolution April 2013, heavy rock-drilling and diversification). The project equipment began to arrive at West is investigating this interval which Mains Farm, near the village of Norham, Berwick-upon-Tweed. This was the start of a two-month operation, during which a fully cored borehole was drilled to a depth of 501 m through Lower Carboniferous (Tournaisian) rocks of the Ballagan Formation (Figure 1). For members of the project team, it was a relief that, after months of planning, drilling was finally to get underway.

Obtaining as complete a rock record as possible through the Ballagan Formation and into the underlying Kinnesswood Formation was a key objective for the TW:eed project (TW:eed stands

Figure 1 A run of core is recovered at Norham using the Atlas Copco S-Geobor wireline system. On the trestles are a new length of drill stem (left) and a second core barrel with plastic liner fitted (right) ready to be attached. Image: D Millward©NERC

3 drilling through romer’s gap is referred to as Romer’s Gap, the funded by the Natural Environment period when the aquatic and fish-like Research Council. The borehole work limbed vertebrates of late Devonian has been led by BGS. times emerged on land to diversify into the wide range of fully terrestrial Why drill a borehole? species seen 15 million years later in A continuous, high-resolution record Visean times. This was a step change of the lithology, sedimentology, in the evolution of life on Earth that petrology, stable isotope shaped the future of vertebrates, compositions, palynostratigraphy and and eventually the appearance of biostratigraphy is contained in the humans. cores. Such a record is not possible from outcrop. Significantly greater South-east Scotland is one of only and higher quality detail is obtainable two places in the world where from cores, though the absence of tetrapod fossils from this time interval information on the lateral extent of have been found — the other is facies is a drawback. The level of Blue Beach in Nova Scotia, Canada. detail is crucial within mudstone The Ballagan Formation comprises intervals which typically crumble to rapidly alternating beds of siltstone small fragments when exposed and and cementstone, with interbedded weathered (Figure 2). sandstone and has been interpreted as coastal alluvial plain deposits This record will enable us to interpret (Anderton 1985). the changing early Carboniferous depositional systems and climate and TW:eed builds on some remarkable to infer habitats that hosted the early fossil finds made recently in the terrestrial tetrapods. A framework Scottish Borders by the late Stan will be established for understanding Wood, and described by Nick Fraser the environmental factors that may in his article in the Spring 2013 have had an influence on why this edition of The Edinburgh Geologist. evolutionary route was taken and on The research is being undertaken the preservation of the fossils. by a consortium of organisations led by Professor Jenny Clack at In addition to establishing a the University of Cambridge, stratigraphical framework upon which and including the universities of our tetrapod localities in the region Southampton and Leicester, the can be pinned, it is hoped that we National Museums of Scotland and will be able to ‘convert’ the rock the British Geological Survey, and record data from the borehole into

4 drilling through romer’s gap

Figure 2 Comparison of profiles through Ballagan Formation paleosols, left at outcrop (pencil is 150 mm long) and right in core (core width is 102 mm). Images: D Millward (left), BGS (right), both©NERC

however detailed the planning! Indeed, significant problems did arise but these were not insurmountable. time and hence begin to understand rates of tetrapod evolution. Time- Circulating the drilling mud between series analysis can be used to test the rotating drilling head and the whether the sedimentary cyclicity surface where the mud can be present through the Ballagan cleaned of cutting fragments is Formation may be related to glacio- essential to keep the drill bit moving eustatic changes in sea level resulting and the drill stem free, particularly from periodic changes in the Earth’s during coring. So, the sudden loss of orbit around the Sun. However, we drilling fluid into cavities or fractures will also need to understand where can cause serious problems and the time gaps are, for example at potentially abandonment of the unconformities and at fluvial channel borehole. bases, as well as the time locked up in the development of the thick At Norham we lost circulation paleosols present. repeatedly between 52 m and 103 m from the surface. Core recovered Problems, what problems? from one of the zones showed a There is an old saying that something steep, two centimetre-wide open will always go wrong during drilling, fracture in sandstone. This type of

5 drilling through romer’s gap problem is usually solved by the professionalism by the team of drillers addition of materials such as mica, from Drilcorp Ltd in Co. Durham. or a mixture of shredded materials The 102 mm diameter core was that resembles the contents of a obtained using a triple-tube wireline vacuum cleaner, to the drilling coring system. In this, a 3 m core mud, or by grouting the borehole. barrel latched inside the drill stem Frustratingly, one of the zones proved behind the drilling bit and the core difficult to seal completely, and a was taken up into a plastic liner small percentage of the circulating inside the core barrel. The liner gave fluid continued to be lost at times added protection to the cores which throughout the operation. proved high quality throughout. After 3 m had been drilled, the core barrel Nevertheless, these problems and its contents were recovered were overcome with skill and to the surface without the time-

Figure 3 TW:eed team members Tim Kearsey (BGS) and Carys Bennett (University of Leicester) examining the core at the BGS core laboratory in Keyworth. Image: T Kearsey©NERC

6 drilling through romer’s gap consuming need to remove the drill analysed and interpretated by stem. specialists in the team. However, the following two examples provide What has happened to the core? a snapshot of the many notable A summary log was made of the characteristics of the Ballagan cores on site and then they were Formation that are being investigated shipped to the National Geological in detail. Repository at the BGS in Keyworth, Nottingham. There the cores were Beds of evaporite are rarely seen at sliced lengthways, photographed, outcrop in the Ballagan Formation described in detail and sampled for because of dissolution, but are analysis (Figure 3). One half of the abundant in the borehole. Twenty- core is archived for reference. two beds composed of gypsum and/ or anhydrite were recorded, most A large number of samples were in the basal 80 m of the succession extracted: 748 for thin section, where these beds are clustered in 586 for palynological studies, short intervals with a large number 680 mudrocks for carbon isotope of cementstone beds (Figure 4). determinations; 98 paleosol Their presence indicates intense samples for mineralogy and evaporation of sulphate-bearing bulk rock geochemistry; and 24 water in supratidal sabkhas. sandstone samples for heavy mineral provenance analysis. Finally, after More than 200 fossil soils have logging was completed the working been described, providing evidence half of the core was broken up and for emergent land surfaces. Many 1016 macrofossil specimens were of these are just rooted horizons extracted from almost 600 horizons at the top of sandstone bodies, to provide an indication of the indicating the ephemeral presence of diversity of life present. Many of vegetation. However, thin, organic- these specimens are plant fragments, rich wetland soils are also common. but also present are marine and non- In the upper part of the succession marine bivalves, orthocones, scales there are reddened paleosols up and bones of lobe-finned and ray- to 1.5 m thick indicative of better finned fish, and assorted arthropod drained, seasonally wet soils, fragments. interpreted as possibly underlying forests. These most likely took Currently, the fossils are being many hundreds to thousands of identified and the rock samples years to form and represent

7 drilling through romer’s gap running head

Figure 4 Nodular anhydrite in grey siltstone, with pink, secondary veins of gypsum at the contact with overlying siltstone. Image: D Millward©NERC episodes of established terrestrial Reference environment. Anderton, R. 1985. Sedimentology of the Dinantian of Foulden, Reflections one year on Berwickshire, Scotland. Transactions The Ballagan Formation proved to of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: be thicker than expected in this Earth Sciences 76(1): 7–12. region and disappointingly we did not attain our primary goal Dr David Millward of coring through Romer’s Gap British Geological Survey, Edinburgh. in its entirety into the underlying Email: [email protected] arid strata of the Kinnesswood Formation. The 500 m depth was the Website: www.tetrapods.org maximum obtainable with our setup. Nevertheless, the cores provide More information on the drilling of a wealth of detail illustrating the this borehole, including a short video dynamic nature of the environment can be seen at: during early Carboniferous times. As http://britgeopeople.blogspot. the full picture of this environment co.uk/2013/06/15-million-years-in- emerges we will have a much better 56-days-by-tim.html understanding of the life and death of these early terrestrial tetrapods.

8 the woolly mammoth, mammuthus primigenius, in scotland

The woolly mammoth, Mammuthus primigenius, in Scotland

By Andrew C Kitchener

The woolly mammoth, Mammuthus limestone caves and prevalence of primigenius, had one of the widest acidic soils have contributed to this geographical distributions of any dearth of remains, so that mammoth Pleistocene mammal. Its distribution fossils have been recorded with was tied closely to the presence of a certainty from only about 10 sites unique open habitat, the mammoth throughout Scotland. The remains steppe, which stretched from North have been discovered at varying America to western Europe from about depths below the surface usually 100 000 to 14 000 years ago (Lister in sandy clay below boulder clay, and Bahn, 2007; Lister 2014). Four indicating a late Devensian origin. mammoth species have been found in Britain, but only the woolly mammoth It is possible that mammoth remains has been recorded in Scotland. have been uncovered accidentally Mammoths and other terrestrial throughout history. For example, mammals were able to colonise Britain Geikie (1863; 68) noted that the from continental Europe, because in Scottish philosopher and first glacial periods sea levels were much Principal of King’s College, Aberdeen, lower than today, so that large areas of Hector Boece 1465–1536, described what we now call the English Channel in ‘The History and Chroniklis of and North Sea were exposed land. Scotland’ (translated from Latin to In this short paper, I will review the Scots and published in 1536 by John known records of woolly mammoth Bellenden) that “In Murrayland is the in Scotland since their first confirmed Kirk of Pette, quhare the banis of Litill discovery in 1816 (Table 1). Johne remanis, in gret admiratioun of pepill. He hes bene fourtene fut of The remains of Devensian and hicht, with square membris effering early Holocene mammals and other thairto.” (Bellenden, 1821; xxxiv), vertebrates are found comparatively which is highly suggestive of a much rarely in Scotland compared with earlier discovery of mammoth bones. those found in the rest of Britain. The effect of almost total glaciation in the The first confirmed mammoth last two glacial maxima, a paucity of remains in Scotland were recorded

9 the woolly mammoth, mammuthus primigenius, in scotland

Table 1 Woolly mammoth and elephant remains found in Scotland since 1816.

Museum Register no. Year Location Form Depth below Substrate Radiocarbon date Finder Reference surface Woolly mammoth, Mammuthus primigenius, specimens NMS Z.1915.15; 1816; Woodhill Quarry, Greenhill, 2 tusks 17.5 feet Brown clay 27 100±200 bp; Robert Brown Bald, 1822; Geikie, 1863; Bryce, 1865 Z.1824.68 1817 Kilmaurs, Ayrshire SUERC-50904 NMS Z.1998.66 1820 Cliftonhall Estate, Ratho 2 tusks 15–20 feet Clay (strong old Bald, 1822; Geikie, 1863; Bryce, 1865 alluvial earth) 1825 Woodhill Quarry, Greenhill, Tusk Bryce, 1865 Kilmaurs, Ayrshire GLAHM V.5120 1829 ‘Diluvium in the neighbourhood of Tusk 34 feet 13700+1300– T Fulton Young & Craig, 1869; Gregory & Currie, Kilmarnock’ = Woodhill Quarry, 1700 bp; 1928; Sissons, 1967; Palkopoulou et al., Greenhill, Kilmaurs, Ayrshire GX0634; 46,700 2013 1831 Woodhill Quarry, Greenhill, Tusk Young & Craig, 1869; Gregory & Currie, Kilmaurs, Ayrshire 1928 1840 Woodhill Quarry, Greenhill, Tooth (small Dr John Scouler Geikie, 1863; Bryce, 1865; Young & Kilmaurs, Ayrshire fragment) Craig, 1869; Gregory & Currie, 1928 1840–41 Chapel Hall, near Airdrie Bone Laminated sand Craig, 1842 containing quartz pebbles GLAHM V.5123 ‘Diluvium in the neighbourhood Tusk 45 850±750 bp ; T Morton Bryce 1865; Young & Craig, 1869; Gregory of Kilmarnock’ = Woodhill Quarry OxA-20051 & Currie, 1928; Palkopoulou et al., 2013 GLAHM V.5155 <1875 Bishopbriggs Tooth (right upper) Sand under boulder Dr Sir D Beveridge Gregory & Currie, 1928; Macewen, 1876; clay N Clark, pers. comm. 1875 Mainhill Farm, Ballieston Tooth 33 feet Laminated sand under Robert Bethune Kirsop, 1882 boulder clay GUHM V.5125 1881 Dreghorn, Ayrshire Tusk c.90 feet Sand and gravel 30 080±260 bp.; T Craig Bennie, 1885; Gregory & Currie, 1928; below boulder clay OxA-10964 Palkopoulou et al., 2013 GLAHM V.5124 1881 Drummuir Pit, Dreghorn, Ayrshire Tusk Upper boulder clay T Shore Craig 1888; Gregory & Currie, 1928 GCM 1937.26 1937 Headswood Farm, near Larbert, Tooth (right 38 feet Junction between Absalom & Henderson, 1947; R Sutcliffe, Stirlingshire upper) coarse sand/gravel and pers. comm. fine sand below GLAHM V.5730 1968 Houston’s Store, Alloway Street, Ayr Tooth Alan Neale Delair, 1969; N Clark, pers. comm. Asian elephant, Elephas maximus, specimens 1874 Glenmoidart, Strontian Tooth Macewen, 1876 Specimen lost c.1884 Springbank near Eyemouth Tooth and part Hewat Craw, 1919 Railway Station of jaw NMS Z.1926.89 c.1894 Found during laying of Eyemouth Tooth Hewat Craw, 1919 and Burnmouth railway line GLAHM 1902 No.1 Pit, Carfin, near Motherwell Tooth (lower left) Gregory & Currie, 1928 ABDMS 012368 1934 30 miles NE of Shetland Two tusks seabed 255±70 b.p.; Long, 1992 OxA-1758 NMS unreg. 1959 Carse of Stirling, Bridge of Allan Tooth

10 the woolly mammoth, mammuthus primigenius, in scotland

Table 1 Woolly mammoth and elephant remains found in Scotland since 1816.

11 the woolly mammoth, mammuthus primigenius, in scotland as being those of fossil elephants, which was 3 feet 5½ inches (1.05 such is the similarity in tooth and metres) long, 13½ inches (34.3 cm) tusk form between living elephants in circumference and weighed 20½ and mammoths, both of which lbs (9.3 kg) (Bald, 1822). The other belong to the family Elephantidae. tusk was too decayed to be preserved. The first woolly mammoth remains The tusk was cut in two; one piece were found in December 1816 at went to the College Museum in Greenhill Quarry, near Kilmaurs in Edinburgh, while the other was Ayrshire (there is some debate about retained by Lord Eglinton at Eglinton the name and location of the quarry; Castle. This latter piece was donated the early quarry appears to have by a later Lord Eglinton to the Royal been called Woodhill Quarry and Scottish Museum (forerunner of the was later succeeded by Greenhill National Museum of Scotland) in Quarry; Bryce, 1865). At a depth of 1915, where it is now part of the 17½ feet (5.33 metres) in brown clay Vertebrate Biology collection, register Mr Robert Brown, tacksman at the no. NMS.Z.1915.15 (Fig. 1). We quarry, discovered two tusks, one of have recently radiocarbon dated this

Figure 1 a. A fragment of mammoth tusk from Kilmaurs, Ayrshire — the first mammoth remains recorded from Scotland (NMS.Z.1915.15). Length c.362 mm, diameter right-hand cut end 96 mm. b. Detail of label. ©National Museums Scotland.

12 the woolly mammoth, mammuthus primigenius, in scotland specimen at 27 100±200 radiocarbon and Craig, 1869; Bennie, 1885). years old. The whereabouts of the Two of these are in the Hunterian other piece is unknown, although Museum, University of Glasgow, it would be expected to have been including one found with two reindeer transferred to the national collections antlers 34 feet (10.4 metres) below the in 1854 when the College Museum surface by T Fulton on 4th December was disbanded, under the register no. 1829, which is 32 inches (81.3 cm) NMS.Z.1824.68. However, Bennie long and has a circumference at the (1885) noted that this portion of narrow end of 11.5 inches (29.2 cm), the tusk remained in the possession register no. V.5120 (Table 1) (Young of Professor Archibald Geikie, who & Craig, 1869; Gregory and Currie, used it in his Geology classes. It is 1928). This was radiocarbon dated perhaps the same mammoth tusk in the 1960s at 13700+1300–1700 from Kilmaurs, labelled as having been bp. (GX0634) (Sissons, 1967), but this donated by Professor Geikie, which date is no longer accepted as reliable. is now on display in the Beginnings A recent new radiocarbon date for this gallery, National Museum of Scotland. specimen was 46 700±2700 years bp. (Palkopoulou et al., 2013). The second Other mammoth tusk fragments have tusk fragment, 26.5 inches (67.3 also been found at Greenhill Quarry, cm) long, and with circumferences including in 1825 and 1831, and of 11.75 (29.8 cm) and 9 inches totalling nine specimens all found in circumference (22.9 cm) at each end, sand and clay below boulder clay at was donated by T Morton, register no, depths varying between 17 and 36 V.5123. This has been radiocarbon feet (5.18–10.97 metres) below the dated at 45 850 ±750 years b.p. (N surface (Fig. 2) (Bryce, 1865; Young Clark, pers. comm.). Another tusk

Figure 2 Section showing where mammoth tusks were found at Greenhill Quarry, Kilmaurs (Bryce 1865). a. and b. are where mammoth tusks were found.

13 the woolly mammoth, mammuthus primigenius, in scotland was donated to Anderson’s College, Alexander Gibson Maitland, instructed Glasgow (Bennie, 1885), but its the workman who found it to take it whereabouts are unknown today. A to Cliftonhall House, but instead he small piece of molar tooth was also went off to Edinburgh and sold it to an found at Greenhill Quarry in 1840 by ivory turner for £2. Before it could be Dr John Scouler (Bryce, 1865). recovered, it was cut into three pieces, one of which was being prepared The second find of mammoth in for the lathe to make chessmen. Sir Scotland was at Cliftonhall Estate, Alexander bought back the remaining Newbridge (near Ratho), near pieces. At some point the two remaining Edinburgh, where on 18 July 1821 a pieces of tusk were donated to the piece of mammoth tusk was found Free Church College Museum where during the digging of the Union Canal they were photographed in the early (Bald, 1822). It was found 15–20 20th century by James Ritchie (Fig. feet below the surface in ‘strong, old 3). In 1966 the Free Church College alluvial earth’ or clay. The tusk weighed Museum was disbanded and many of 25¾ lbs (11.68 kg) and measured 39 the specimens were donated to the inches (99.1 cm) long, and was 13 Royal Scottish Museum, but the tusk inches (33 cm) in circumference at was not among them. In 1998 Hilary the proximal end and the middle and Kirkland of the City of Edinburgh 12 inches (30.5 cm) in circumference Education Department contacted at the distal end. The estate owner, Sir me about a piece of mammoth tusk,

Figure 3 The Cliftonhall (above) and Kilmaurs (below) mammoth tusks probably photographed in the 1920s by James Ritchie. The detached distal end of the Cliftonhall tusk is lost and the remaining fragment has been cut in half, so that only the fragment in Figure 4 now survives.

14 the woolly mammoth, mammuthus primigenius, in scotland which had been used as a handling right molar being found by Robert item for education. This was probably Bethune at Mainhill Farm, Baillieston part of the Free Church specimen, in about 1875 (700 yards (0.64 but the remaining piece of tusk was km) east of Baillieston, south of the considerably shorter (Fig. 4) than the Bailliestone to Coatbridge road). It original which had apparently been cut was found 33 feet (10 metres) below into at least two pieces. The surviving the surface in sandy clay overlain by piece was donated to the National boulder clay. Craig (1888) reported Museums Scotland, where it is now a tusk, 5 feet long (1.52 metres) registered as NMS.Z.1998.66 (Kitchener and 6 inches (15.2 cm) in diameter, and Bonsall, 2001). It was radiocarbon which was found in 1881 by T. Shore dated at 29 200±370 years old. about 80 feet (24.4. metres) below the surface at No. 5 pit, Warwickhill Mammoth remains have also been Colliery, Dummuir Farm, Dreghorn. found in other localities in Ayrshire This specimen is in the Hunterian and the western Central Belt. Craig Museum, register no. V5124, of (1842) reported a mammoth bone which only a fragment 9.7 inches being found at Chapelhall near (24.6 cm) long survives (Gregory and Airdrie, but no further details are Currie, 1928). Another fragment from given as to what type of bone it was. Dreghorn was 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) Kirsop (1882) reported an upper long and was donated by T Craig in 1881, Hunterian Museum register no. V.5125. It has been radiocarbon dated at 30 080±260 years bp. (Palkopoulou et al., 2013). A right upper molar was found in the upper boulder clay at Bishopbriggs and donated by Miss Margaret Beveridge to the Hunterian Museum, register no. V.5155 (Gregory and Currie, 1928).

The most northerly record for the Figure 4 Fragment of mammoth species in Britain was found in 1947, tusk from Cliftonhall, near Edinburgh when a right upper molar tooth was (NMS.Z.1998.66). Length along outer discovered by Headswood Sand and curve is c.306 mm and diameter Gravel Company west of Headswood of left-hand cut end is c.102mm. Farm, near Larbert in the Carron ©National Museums Scotland. Valley, Stirlingshire (Absalom and

15 the woolly mammoth, mammuthus primigenius, in scotland

Henderson, 1947). This tooth is in Eyemouth and Burnmouth Railway the collections of Glasgow Museums, and is the specimen in the collection register no. A.1937.26 (R. Sutcliffe, of the National Museums Scotland pers. comm.). The most recent find in NMS.Z.1926.89, which is recorded Scotland appears to be an imperfect as being from Hilburn, Ayton, molar found at Houston’s Store, Berwickshire. It also is from an Asian Alloway Street, Ayr in July 1968, elephant. Another Asian elephant which was donated to the Hunterian tooth was found in the Carse of Museum by Alan Neale (register no. Stirling, near Bridge of Allan in V.5370) (Delair, 1969; N Clark, pers. January 1959 and was misidentified comm.). There are also unconfirmed as a mammoth’s tooth. It is in the records of mammoth remains from collections of the National Museums Kimmerghame in Berwickshire Scotland (Fig. 5). Yet another tooth and Kinloch, which were listed in was reported from Glenmoidart, Woodward and Sherborn (1890; 344). Strontian, Argyll (Macewen, 1876). It is possible that some of these teeth However, not all proboscidean teeth were amongst the ballast on ships and tusks found in Scotland are from India and the Far East, or tourist necessarily from mammoths. Some curios that were discarded, but they originate from elephants, but have were clearly not native to Scotland. often mistakenly been identified as mammoth remains. For example, In 1934 two tusks were reported a left lower molar found at No. 1 as being caught in a fishing net on Pit at Carfin near Motherwell was the seabed of the northern North donated to the Hunterian Museum Sea about 30 miles northeast of in 1902 and was identified as that of Shetland (Long, 1992). They were an Asian elephant, Elephas maximus identified by Professor James Ritchie (Gregory and Currie, 1928). Hewat of Aberdeen University as belonging Craw (1919) described two molar to the woolly mammoth. They teeth found near Eyemouth in are preserved in the Aberdeen Berwickshire. The first attached to Art Gallery and Museums, register a piece of jaw bone was found in no. ABDMS012368.1–2, and are c.1885 in a garden at Springbank on about 1.3 metres long and 15 cm the left bank of the Eye and south in diameter. However, radiocarbon of Eyemouth railway station. Its dating revealed that they were only current whereabouts are unknown. 255±70 years old (OxA-1758) However, a second tooth was found and it seems that they were part c.1895 during the laying of the of a consignment of raw elephant

16 the woolly mammoth, mammuthus primigenius, in scotland

Figure 5 View of crown surface of Asian elephant tooth found in the Carse of Stirling near Bridge of Allan in January 1959. Crown length 125mm and width c.62mm. © Andrew Kitchener, National Museums Scotland. ivory lost at sea c. AD1650–1750, Sutcliffe of Glasgow Museums possibly from one of four Dutch East for providing information about India Company ships, en route from mammoth specimens in their care, Batavia (Indonesia) or Ceylon (Sri and to Adrian Lister for confirming Lanka), which were lost in a storm off the identities of the elephant teeth. I Shetland in 1690 (Long, 1992). am grateful to Vicen Carrio and Silvia Da Rocha for conservation of the In conclusion, woolly mammoth NMS mammoth tusks. remains, comprising tusks and teeth, have been found principally in late References Devensian deposits in the Midland Absalom, R G and Henderson, S M K. Valley (Central Belt) and Ayrshire at 1947. A tooth of Elephas primigenius about ten different locations over the from Headswood, Larbert, Stirlingshire. last 200 years. Limited radiocarbon Geological Magazine 84: 181–184. dates range from 27 200 to 46 700 Bald, R. 1822. Notices regarding the fossil bp., indicating that woolly mammoths elephant of Scotland. Memoirs of the do not appear to have survived the Wernerian Natural History Society 4: 58–66. Last Glacial Maximum in Scotland. Bellenden, J. 1821. The history and chronicles of Scotland written in Latin by Acknowledgements Hector Boece, Canon of Aberdeen, Vol. 1. I am grateful to Neil Clark of the Edinburgh: W & C Tait. Hunterian Museum and Richard

17 the woolly mammoth, mammuthus primigenius, in scotland

Bennie, J. 1885. Notes on the contents of Newsletter 96: 28–31. two bits of clay from the elephant bed at Lister, A. 2014. Mammoths. Ice Age Kilmaurs in 1817. Proceedings of the Royal giants. London: Natural History Museum. Physical Society Edinburgh 8: 451–459. Lister, A and Bahn, P. 2007. Mammoths. Bryce, J. 1865. On the occurrence of Giants of the Ice Age. London: Frances beds in the west of Scotland beneath the Lincoln. boulder-clay. Quarterly Journal of the Long, D. 1992. The ‘Shetland mammoth’: Geological Society, London 21: 213–218. Its age, nature and possible origin. Craig, R. 1888. On the post-Pliocene beds Archives of Natural History 19: 101–105. of the Irvine Valley, Kilmaurs and Dreghorn Macewen, W. 1876. [An elephant’s tooth Districts. Transactions of the Geological found in Glenmoidart, Strontian, West Society of Glasgow 8: 213–226. Highlands]. Proceedings of the Natural Craig, R. 1842. On the boulder deposits History Society of Glasgow 2: 263. near Glasgow. Proceedings of the Palkopoulou, E and 11 others. Geological Society of London 3: 415–416. 2013. Holarctic genetic structure Delair, J B. 1969. North of the Hippopotamus and range dynamics in the woolly Belt: a brief review of Scottish fossil mammoth. Proceedings of the Royal mammals. Bulletin of the Mammal Society Society B: Biological Sciences 280: of the British Isles 31: 16–21. 20131910, http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/ Geikie, A. 1863. On the phenomena of the rspb.2013.1910 glacial drift of Sctoland. Transactions of the Sissons, J B. 1967. Glacial stages and Geological Society of Glasgow 1: 1–190. radiocarbon dates in Scotland. Scottish Gregory, J W and Currie, E D. 1928. The Journal of Geology 3: 375–381. vertebrate fossils from the glacial and Woodward, A S and Sherborn, C associated post-glacial beds of Scotland D. 1890. A catalogue of British fossil in the Hunterian Museum, University of Vertebrata. London: Dulau and Co. Glasgow. Monographs of the Geological Young, J and Craig, R. 1869. Notes on Department of the Hunterian Museum the occurrence of seeds and fresh-water Glasgow University 2: 1–25. plants and Arctic shells, along with the Hewat Craw, J. 1919. On the finding remains of the mammoth and reindeer in of mammoth remains in the east of beds under the boulder-clay at Kilmaurs. Berwickshire. History of the Berwickshire Transactions of the Geological Society of Naturalists’ Club 23: 373–374. Glasgow 3: 310–321. Kirsop, J. 1882. Proceedings, 6th March 1879. Transactions of the Geological Andrew C Kitchener, Society of Glasgow 6: 291. Principal Curator of Vertebrates, Kitchener, A C and Bonsall, C. 2001. A National Museums Scotland, woolly mammoth tusk from Cliftonhall, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF. near Edinburgh, Scotland. Quaternary Email: [email protected]

18 scotland’s time lords keep dynamic earth dynamic Scotland’s Time Lords keep Dynamic Earth Dynamic

By Stuart Monro

It is now 18 years since Dr Sandy information and entertainment in Crosbie and I first sat down to its delivery. This was echoed in the write the scientific narrative for final paragraph of Hutton’s abstract Our Dynamic Earth, and in the 15 to his ‘Theory of the Earth’ in which years since it opened its doors it he writes “In this manner, there has engaged with around 4 million is opened to our view a subject people. There are a number of interesting to man who thinks…. significant challenges associated with an enterprise like Dynamic Earth. It is essential to keep the story fresh, to maintain the quality of the presentational media and to be completely up to date with the science. This article documents some of the changes that have taken place in Dynamic Earth in response to changes in technology and science, ending up with the most recent changes and the introduction of Scotland’s Time Lords.

Beginnings The story told in Dynamic Earth was deliberately conceived as a linear James Hutton (1726–1797). This one, starting with an overview of plaster bust, now held by the Royal the world as a dynamic system in Society of Edinburgh, was sculpted continual change. This was a concept by Patric Park in 1849, based largely derived from the adage of James on the portrait of Hutton painted in Hutton “…no vestige of a beginning, about 1776 (though some authorities no prospect of an end.” Hutton was claim 1790) by Sir Henry Raeburn. at the very heart of the concept with The portrait is now in the collection a holistic approach to the content of the Scottish National Portrait and an objective of combining Gallery.

19 scotland’s time lords keep dynamic earth dynamic

Earthscapes Scotland — taking the exhibition outside.

made a substantial contribution to the initial capital costs of Dynamic Earth. Accordingly, the Commission established the ReDiscover Fund which was administered by and one which may afford the the Wellcome Trust to stimulate re- human mind both information and investment. In the second round entertainment.” of funding, monies were secured to engage with a wider audience. The content progressed through The international market demanded the origins of the Universe and foreign language facilities and these the tectonic, glacial and biological were provided through audioguides. processes that have shaped our planet For younger visitors a range of new and the creatures that inhabit it. From interactives were introduced and for the there it moved on to explore the very young, a themed soft play area. environments that had been produced by these processes, from the Oceans Initially, the external space in front to the Polar Regions and through of Our Dynamic Earth was largely a the various biomes to the Tropical grassed area which played no part in Rainforest. The Dome at the end was communicating the story of Dynamic envisaged as the summing up of what Earth or giving visitors a feel for what Dynamic Earth was all about. This might be experienced inside. The remains as the fundamental structure third round of ReDiscover funding of Dynamic Earth. introduced new elements into the external environment. One told the Funding for redevelopment is always story of Scotland’s journey from deep an issue and this was recognized by the in the southern hemisphere to our Millennium Commission which had present comfortable location through

20 scotland’s time lords keep dynamic earth dynamic large blocks of rock, demonstrating the expectations of the public. The the key milestones in the journey and fourth, and final round of ReDiscover the varying environments through funding gave an opportunity to do which Scotland passed. Other something new and innovative. initiatives created a slice through Scotland showing some of the major The FutureDome aimed to look tectonic features, and produced a forward and to show visitors that geological garden of plants associated decisions made today would have with the geological time scale, all set implications into the future in, for around a glacially striated surface example, the provision of energy and taken from a quarry just outside water to an increasing population. The Edinburgh. The inner structure of the technology employed used rotating Earth was explored in a ‘cave’ in the floors to simulate transport into the centre of the turning circle and finally, future and used voting mechanisms in a very small way, the contribution to determine the outcomes of the of James Hutton to geological thought various scenarios. This encouraged was acknowledged. group interaction and highlighted many of the issues that are current at Changing the conclusion the present day. In a linear approach to telling the story of Dynamic Earth, it is the While the FutureDome was very beginning and the end that are successful and addressed many easiest to change. Many people current issues, there was a need will have fond memories of lying for part of Dynamic Earth which on the floor of the ShowDome could change more rapidly. To and seeing images projected on achieve this, and to continually give to the dome as a summary of the something new to repeat visitors exhibition highlighting the dramatic from Edinburgh and its environs, an processes that have shaped the emerging technology was utilized planet. Paradoxically, many of which allowed full dome films to those processes can be regarded as be shown. Dynamic Earth joined a hazards to our every-day way of life consortium to produce a full dome even though they are the essential film, ‘We are Astronomers’, which processes of renewal by which the was part-funded by the Science planet operates. But changes in and Technology Facilities Council to available technology meant that a celebrate the 400th anniversary of slide show, even one projected on Galileo first pointing his telescope to to a dome surface, did not meet the sky. It demonstrates how, in those

21 scotland’s time lords keep dynamic earth dynamic

400 years, astronomers have worked the aim was to create an immersive together to understand the origins and experience in which visitors would evolution of the universe, culminating engage with the science behind the in the experiments at CERN. various biomes in a ‘pre-flight’ briefing area before flying across the biomes Reverting to the name ‘ShowDome’, seeing how plants and animals adapt this gallery is now an ever-changing to different environments. part of Dynamic Earth showing full dome films that illustrate astronomy, Recent changes — How it all Started evolution and supervolcanoes. As time goes by technology can dramatically improve how the story Responding to Climate Change of Dynamic Earth is told. ‘How it With the increasing concern about all Started’ was originally conceived global climate change it became as a slide show using many of the necessary to respond in the Polar spectacular images from the Hubble gallery, where the emphasis had simply Space Telescope. However in 2014 been on the wonder of the polar it is now possible to use computer environment. These regions now had generated images to demonstrate to be seen as important laboratories contemporary concepts of the origins of climate change, providing detailed of the universe. A new film was information on changing temperatures produced which highlighted more of and atmospheric gas composition the fundamental scientific concepts through gas bubbles trapped in now understood by astronomers and ice cores. The redevelopment also physicists and convey these ideas provided an opportunity to move visually. The end result combines from projected still images of the the wonder of the Hubble images polar regions to a large screen movie with other scientific concepts, from incorporating high definition images supernova to Earth’s bombardment alongside a mosaic of other footage. by meteorites, and from the origin of simple elements to their combination The Journey of Contrasts from the in more complex molecules. polar regions to the tropical rainforest was a gallery where the scientific Recent changes — the Time message of the diversity of biomes Machine and what causes them was being The journey back in time to the communicated less than successfully. singularity just before the Big Bang The response was to substitute this is important in understanding the area with the 4DVENTURE. Here origins of the universe. The new

22 scotland’s time lords keep dynamic earth dynamic

in the diversity of life took place 580 million years ago. First simple bacterial life appeared 3.5 billion years ago. Earth was bombarded by meteorites between 3.5 and 4.53 billion years ago and formed by accretion of material left over from the formation of the Sun between 4.54 and 4.6 billion years ago. And finally, or rather firstly, galaxies converge to the singularity from which the Big Bang emerged.

Recent changes — Scotland’s Time Lords At the beginning of this piece, it was noted that the origins of the Dynamic Sir Charles Lyell (1797–1875) at Earth exhibition were strongly the British Association meeting embedded in the person of James in Glasgow, 1840. A portrait by Hutton, yet little of the exhibition was Alexander Craig reproduced by devoted to celebrating his contribution permission of the Geological Society to Earth science. This has now been of London (archive reference GSL/ remedied by replacing ‘State of the POR/73). Earth’ with ‘Scotland’s Time Lords’. In this new gallery, funded with help from the heritage Lottery Fund, ‘Deep Time Machine’ does just that, James Hutton is brought back to life touching on the various milestones through a ‘Pepper’s ghost’ and he can from the present day back to the recount for himself the significance mysterious point immediately prior of the observations he made at Siccar to the beginning of time itself. In Point and on Arthur’s Seat. Scientific the blink of an eye we are back 2 progress is a journey made faster in million years, when the first hominids company with other people. The walked the Earth. Between 65 and gallery permits Hutton to converse 230 million years ago our Earth’s with Charles Lyell, who was the great inhabitants included the dinosaurs. communicator of his ideas, with Peach 380 million years ago organisms and Horne, the Survey geologists who began to live on land. An explosion mapped-out the results of mountain

23 scotland’s time lords keep dynamic earth dynamic building in Scotland’s NW Highlands, compiled the first physiographic map and with Arthur Holmes whose of the North Atlantic. It was published appreciation of radioactive decay in 1957 and was part of the evidence enabled him to quantify the age of the that, in the 1960s, led Harry Hess Earth, something that Hutton could from Princeton University to the only speculate on. concept of seafloor spreading from a mid-ocean ridge, opening up oceans Global impact of these innovators and moving continents. Further There is an international dimension evidence to support this concept to this story featuring a German came from work on determining polar explorer and meteorologist, the age of the ocean floor and the Alfred Wegener who, from 1912, geomagnetic signature contained championed the theory of continental within the magnetic minerals. The drift, adding geological evidence symmetrical pattern either side of to the long-recognised, if puzzling, the Mid-Ocean Ridge revealed by geometrical fit between South America Fred Vine and Drummond Matthews and Africa. This was a controversial working in Cambridge University and idea which was not widely accepted, Lawrence Morley of the Canadian mainly because geologists could not Geological Survey demonstrated agree on a mechanism by which conclusively that magma was rising continents could be moved. up along the Mid-Ocean Ridge and moving away from the ridge, The modern approach to the problem providing the mechanism that had started at the Lamont-Doherty Earth eluded Wegener. The corollary of this Observatory of Columbia University, process, if the Earth were not to be where Marie Tharp and Bruce Heezen seen as continually expanding, was

24 scotland’s time lords keep dynamic earth dynamic the requirement for crust to be lost, The future of Dynamic Earth so balancing the generation of new As a science centre, Dynamic Earth crust in the Mid-Ocean Ridges, this has a unique role as the only science process we now know as subduction. centre in the UK, and possibly in the Together these observations built our world, devoted to engaging people modern concept of Plate Tectonics with the processes of how the Earth the evolution of which provides a works. This is increasingly important scientific culmination for Scotland’s in an age where many of the issues Time Lords. facing Society, climate change, availability of drinkable water, energy Hutton’s ideas revisited resources, food security, to name This story moves us a long way from but a few, are all underpinned by the original ideas of Hutton, but an understanding of how the Earth taking the time to reflect might well works. Equally, the research carried help make meaningful connections out in universities and elsewhere between our modern understanding must connect with those who pay for of how the Earth works and the it, the taxpayers, and science centres concepts that emerged from Hutton’s have a role in making the impacts of work. The following letter, purporting that research widely accessible. to come from James Hutton and bearing marks of scorching was, For myself, as I approach according to Gordon Craig’s ‘A retirement from the best job in the Geological Miscellany’, received world — scientific director of Dynamic recently by the editor of Séance de la Earth — I hand over the baton to the terre. It contains the following lines: next ‘Keeper of the Scrolls’ who will further develop this most excellent “… We all look forward to institution, and will hopefully take note meeting some of your young of Hutton’s words; “In this manner, colleagues who have made such there is opened to our view a subject spectacular advances in plate interesting to man who thinks…. and tectonics, and I am especially one which may afford the human mind glad to hear that they are using both information and entertainment.” my heat to drive their plates… Stuart K Monro The science has moved on since Scientific Director of Our Dynamic Hutton’s day but his legacy remains Earth and Honorary Professor, as the foundation for our modern University of Edinburgh understanding of how the Earth works.

25 book reviews

Book reviews

Island on Fire by Alexandra Witze and clergyman Jón Steingrímsson, and Jeff Kanipe. Profile Books, London. the more recent research about the 2014. Hardback, 224 pp. Price potential impacts of future eruptions £10.99. ISBN 978-1-78125-004-4. combine into a superb story.

It begins in 1973 on the island of Heimaey as advancing lava threatens the town, homes and livelihoods of islanders, leading to a partial evacuation. Nevertheless some stay to mitigate the impacts of the eruption by pumping huge volumes of seawater at the advancing lava in an attempt to divert its flow. This sets The effects of volcanic eruptions in the scene well, showing the resilience Iceland can be felt far beyond that and innovation of those living and island’s shores and have the potential working alongside volcanoes where to cause serious disruption and eruptions may occur at any time. economic damage in Britain. Having spent the last four years working with The tale then moves back to UK scientists and the UK government the eighteenth century and Jón planning for a potential repeat of a Steingrímsson’s experiences as the ‘Laki eruption’ scenario, I picked up eruption of Grimsvotn volcano at this book which, according to its press Lakagigar (‘Laki eruption’) begins. Jón is release is about the ‘all-but-forgotten an interesting character: well-educated, Laki volcano’, with some trepidation. interested in natural history, a farmer, In scientific and government circles at a priest, a self-taught physician and yet least the 1783-4 Icelandic eruption is also very interested in the supernatural not forgotten, it is in fact the subject of as were others at the time. The book a number of excellent scientific papers gives a sensitive portrayal of this man which, coupled with detailed historical and the challenges he faced during and records, makes it an ideal eruption for after the eruption as he tried to support contingency planning. The historical his own family and others in the district documents, in particular the vivid first- as the appalling secondary impacts of hand accounts of eighteenth century the eruption set in.

26 book reviews

The book weaves the story of the measuring and comparing the scales eruption and its impacts between of fissure eruptions like Laki. There chapters explaining more about are other examples of somewhat volcanism and volcanic eruptions erroneous scientific explanation and elsewhere in the world. This gives some important gaps but these should welcome context to the developing not detract from the excellent story- story of Laki. Thanks to the growing telling, good descriptions of a wide tendency in the eighteenth century breadth of scientific and historical for interested individuals to document topic areas and the fascinating their observations of the natural perspectives of both those impacted world, the book goes on to draw by eruptions and scientists. The book on the testimonies of Gilbert White, is very attractively presented and is Benjamin Franklin and others as they well-illustrated in black and white. describe the atmospheric effects and impacts of the Laki eruption beyond Sue Loughlin Iceland. Later chapters move into Volcanologist, British Geological Survey modern interpretations of the wider impacts of the Laki eruption as a result of the dispersal of sulphate aerosol by Paraffin Young and Friends by Mary winds in the troposphere. Some of Leitch, with a foreword by Professor the eruption emissions reached the Stuart Monro. Published by Alan stratosphere and the possible impacts Fyfe, Edinburgh. 2012. Paperback, on climate of such eruptions are 111 pp. Price £7.50. ISBN 978-0- discussed. The book gives a good list 9548764-3-2 of resources including scientific papers and this combination of accessible cutting edge science and personal testimony is a great strength of the book. The text is engaging, fast-paced and makes the most of some colourful testimonies.

There is an unfortunate use of the term ‘Supervolcanoes’ to describe major eruptions such as those of Vesuvius 79AD and Krakatau 1883 based on the Volcanic Explosivity It’s a sad fact that in Scotland we Index, but this is not a good way of know too little about our industrial

27 book reviews and commercial forebears. In her lectures by Professor Thomas Graham 110 page book, Paraffin Young and (1805-1869) chemist, and others, Friends, Mary Leitch takes us back and picked up relevant textbooks. to an age of enlightenment (there His appetite whetted, the uncombed was a darker side of course) and its redhead in working clothes enrolled practical application, back to the in the Mechanics’ Institute to attend times of Thomas Telford and Michael the classes at the Andersonian Faraday. She herself is a great-great- University, earning his keep by granddaughter of James ‘Paraffin’ making the laboratory apparatus. Young (1811–1883). Her book is a Outstandingly able, hardworking and good one. inventive, from here Young’s progress was fast. He became official assistant Here we can relive the early years in to Thomas Graham, giving some Glasgow of James Young, the son of of the lectures and demonstrating a master joiner, He was his father’s experiments himself, and when apprentice. By nineteen, no stranger Graham took up a Professorship at to the rougher aspects and keener University College London, he asked privations of life, James would be Young to join him as his assistant. getting up at 4am, working through In London James Young was soon the day, and wrought till 10pm. helping at some of Michael Faraday’s “He made coffins, doors, counters public experiments. He was there at for shops, tables and chairs, floors, the birth of a new age. rollers and frames for maps for sailors and soldiers, window frames, picture Thomas Graham’s brother John had mouldings, basin stands, handles, been put in charge of the Royal Mint chests, beds, bakehouse drawers, in succession to Herschel, and had knife boards and vases for bees. developed a new bronze coinage He turned wood, he polished and which gave great saving and advantage varnished furniture and snuff boxes to the state. James Young was much and helped with house removals. impressed with John’s dedication: “He James enjoyed his work and liked laboured like Faraday and his work is to do each job to perfection. a monument of patient concentrated Improvements were made and new thought, and of singleness of purpose ideas tried out“, including cabinet that never swerved”. hinges of his own devising. It was an attitude to life that James At 21 years old he began to take Young took to heart in his own an interest in science. He attended career as one of the great Scottish

28 book reviews industrial chemists of his generation. (no relation) and George Beilby, co- The story is ably unfolded in Mary inventors of the Young and Beilby Leitch’s book, and earned him vertical retort, were able to squeeze his “Paraffin” soubriquet. Fond more light and useful chemicals admiration surrounded Paraffin out of the most unpromising shales. Young, sometimes tinged with envy James Young’s Scottish oils were used for his business acumen, but he was to illuminate the new lighthouses always one of our ain folk. Simple across the far-off Japanese Empire, humanity shone through in his and their Stevenson-trained engineer affection for his wife and family and Henry Brunton became general support for friends like the explorer manager of Paraffin Young’s business David Livingstone and home-loving at Bathgate and Addiewell on his songwriter James Miller, author of return from the East. Wee Willie Winkie and ‘laureate of the nursery’. James Young’s work lit up the world. I sense that Scotland’s Young’s singleness of purpose drove practical enlightenment (getting him to take an inside track on the most out of science, Archibald Geikie’s 1857 geological engineering, communications survey work. He accompanied Geikie and social institutions) was as in person around the parts of the influential worldwide as the earlier Lothians where rich bands of shale philosophical enlightenment had were likely to be found, and then been. The stories of the young men moved fast to snap up the mineral and women of those days have rights. His enterprise and foresight laid plenty to show us. The motto Waste the foundation for future generations Not, Want Not can be applied to our of Scottish refining endeavour. His stewardship of the earth’s resources, scientific thoroughness and expertise and also to the way we give back generated prosperity across central purposeful work to a new generation. Scotland and improved living James Young was given chances and conditions in his own time through took them. He helped and kept his his successful industrial production friends. Mary Leitch’s book shows us of safe, clean-burning lamp oils and something of how it was done. candles. By Roger Kelly Thanks to his early example, those Vice-convener of the Saltire Society who followed James Paraffin Young and chairman of the Penicuik Trust like my own ancestor William Young

29 This issue: No. 56, Autumn 2014

1 Editorial ramble Borderlands and back to the future

3 Drilling through Romer’s Gap — The TW:eed project borehole near Berwick-upon-Tweed By David Millward

9 The woolly mammoth, Mammuthus primigenius, in Scotland By Andrew C Kitchener

19 Scotland’s Time Lords keep Dynamic Earth Dynamic By Stuart Monro

26 Book reviews Island on Fire Paraffin Young and Friends

Cert no. SGS-COC-003231 ISSN 0265-7244