Stratigraphical framework for the Devonian (Old Red Sandstone) rocks of Scotland south of a line from Fort William to Aberdeen Research Report RR/01/04 NAVIGATION HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS DOCUMENT ❑ The general pagination is designed for hard copy use and does not correspond to PDF thumbnail pagination. ❑ The main elements of the table of contents are bookmarked enabling direct links to be followed to the principal section headings and sub-headings, figures, plates and tables irrespective of which part of the document the user is viewing. ❑ In addition, the report contains links: ✤ from the principal section and sub-section headings back to the contents page, ✤ from each reference to a figure, plate or table directly to the corresponding figure, plate or table, ✤ from each figure, plate or table caption to the first place that figure, plate or table is mentioned in the text and ✤ from each page number back to the contents page. Return to contents page NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Research Report RR/01/04 Stratigraphical framework for the Devonian (Old Red Sandstone) rocks of Scotland south of a line from Fort William to Aberdeen Michael A E Browne, Richard A Smith and Andrew M Aitken Contributors: Hugh F Barron, Steve Carroll and Mark T Dean Cover illustration Basal contact of the lowest lava flow of the Crawton Volcanic Formation overlying the Whitehouse Conglomerate Formation, Trollochy, Kincardineshire. BGS Photograph D2459. The National Grid and other Ordnance Survey data are used with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Ordnance Survey licence number GD 272191/2002. Bibliographical reference BROWNE, M A E, SMITH, R A, and AITKEN, A M. 2002. Stratigraphical framework for the Devonian (Old Red Sandstone) rocks of Scotland south of a line from Fort William to Aberdeen. British Geological Survey Research Report, RR/01/04. 67 pp. ISBN 0 85272 401 2 © NERC 2002 Keyworth, Nottingham British Geological Survey 2002 BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG ຜ 0115-936 3241 Fax: 0115-936 3488 The full range of survey publications is available from the BGS Sales e-mail: [email protected] Desk at Nottingham and Edinburgh; see contact details below or www.bgs.ac.uk shop online at www.thebgs.co.uk The London Information Office Shop online at: www.thebgs.co.uk maintains a reference collection of BGS publications including maps for consultation. Murchison House, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3LA ຜ 0131-667 1000 Fax: 0131-668 2683 The Survey publishes an annual catalogue of its maps and other e-mail: [email protected] publications; this catalogue is available from any of the BGS Sales Desks. London Information Office at the Natural History Museum The British Geological Survey carries out the geological survey of Great (Earth Galleries), Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London Britain and Northern Ireland (the latter as an agency service for the SW7 2DE ຜ 020-7589 4090 Fax: 020-7584 8270 government of Northern Ireland), and of the surrounding continental ຜ shelf, as well as its basic research projects. It also undertakes programmes 020-7942 5344/45 e-mail: [email protected] of British technical aid in geology in developing countries as arranged by the Department for International Development and other agencies. Forde House, Park Five Business Centre, Harrier Way, Sowton, Exeter, Devon EX2 7HU The British Geological Survey is a component body of the Natural Tel: 01392-445271 Fax: 01392-445371 Environment Research Council. Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, 20 College Gardens, Belfast BT9 6BS ຜ 028-9066 6595 Fax: 028-9066 2835 Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB ຜ 01491-838800 Fax: 01491-692345 Parent Body Natural Environment Research Council Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 1EU ຜ 01793-411500 Fax: 01793-411501 www.nerc.ac.uk Contents Summary v Blairgowrie–Edzell area 4.3.4 Craighall Conglomerate Formation 26 Preface vi Stirling–Perth–Dundee area 1 Introduction 1 4.3.5 Ochil Volcanic Formation 27 1.1 Palaeogeography 1 4.3.6 Dundee Flagstone Formation 27 1.1.1 Late Silurian–Early Devonian 1 4.3.7 Scone Sandstone Formation 28 1.1.2 Late Devonian 4 Callander–Aberfoyle area 2 The Upper Silurian to Lower Devonian rocks in the 4.3.8 Craig of Monievreckie Conglomerate Lanark Basin in the Southern Midland Valley of Formation 28 Scotland 6 4.3.9 Ruchill Flagstone Formation 29 2.1 Lanark Group 6 2.1.1 Greywacke Conglomerate Formation 6 4.4 Strathmore Group 29 2.1.2 Swanshaw Sandstone Formation 8 2.1.3 Volcanic formations 8 Stirling–Perth–Dundee area 2.1.4 Duneaton Volcanic Formation 9 4.4.1 Cromlix Mudstone Formation 29 2.1.5 Pentland Hills Volcanic Formation 9 4.4.2 Teith Standstone Formation 30 2.1.6 Biggar Volcanic Formation 10 2.1.7 Carrick Volcanic Formation 10 Blairgowrie–Edzell area 2.1.8 Auchtitench Sandstone Formation 11 4.4.3 Gannochy Conglomerate Formation 31 3 The Upper Silurian to Lower Devonian rocks in the 5 The Upper Silurian to Lower Devonian rocks of Southern Upland Terrane 13 Arran, Kintyre and Farland Head 32 3.1 Reston Group 13 5.1 Arbuthnott-Garvock Group 32 Biggar and Peebles area Kintyre (mainland), Sanda and neighbouring 3.1.1 Lamancha Conglomerate Formation 13 islands 32 5.1.1 Glenramskill Sandstone Formation 32 Dunbar, Lauder and Haddington area 5.1.2 New Orleans Conglomerate Formation 32 3.1.2 Great Conglomerate Formation 13 5.1.3 The Bastard Sandstone Formation 33 St Abb’s Head–Eyemouth area Farland Head (North Ayrshire) 3.1.3 Eyemouth Volcanic Formation 15 5.1.4 Sandy's Creek Mudstone Formation 33 3.1.4 Auchencrow Burn Sandstone Formation 15 5.1.5 Portencross Sandstone Formation 34 Cheviot area Arran 3.1.5 White Hill Sandstone Formation 16 5.1.6 Basal Quartz Sandstone Formation 34 3.1.6 Cheviot Volcanic Formation 16 5.1.7 Auchencar Sandstone Formation 34 5.1.8 Am Binnein Sandstone Formation 35 4 The Upper Silurian to Lower Devonian rocks in the Northern Midland Valley of Scotland 17 5.2 Strathmore Group on Arran 35 5.2.1 Sannox Siltstone Formation 35 Stonehaven–Fettercairn area 5.2.2 Unassigned Strathmore Group 36 4.1 Stonehaven Group 18 4.1.1 Cowie Sandstone Formation 19 6 The Upper Silurian to Lower Devonian rocks north 4.1.2 Carron Sandstone Formation 19 of the Highland Boundary Fault 37 4.2 Dunnottar-Crawton Group 21 Argyll 4.2.1 Dunnottar Castle Conglomerate Formation 22 6.1 Kerrera Sandstone Formation 37 4.2.2 Tremuda Bay Volcanic Formation 22 6.2 Lorn Plateau Volcanic Formation 37 4.2.3 Gourdon Sandstone Formation 23 4.2.4 Whitehouse Conglomerate Formation 23 Glen Coe area 4.2.5 Crawton Volcanic Formation 23 6.3 Glencoe Volcanic Formation 39 4.3 Arbuthnott-Garvock Group 24 Ben Nevis area 4.3.1 Catterline Conglomerate Formation 25 6.4 Allt a’ Mhuilinn Mudstone Formation 39 4.3.2 Montrose Volcanic Formation 26 6.5 Ben Nevis Volcanic Formation 39 4.3.3Deep Conglomerate Formation26 iii Aberdeen 5 Generalised vertical sections of the Upper Silurian and 6.6 Brig o’ Balgownie Conglomerate Formation 40 Lower Devonian groups in the northern Midland Valley of Scotland 20 7 The Upper Devonian Stratheden Group in the 6 Lower Devonian lithostratigraphical correlation of Midland Valley of Scotland 41 Kintyre, Arran and Farland Head 33 7 Siluro-Devonian lithostratigraphy of Argyll 38 Fife and Firth of Tay areas 8 Stratheden Group within the Midland Valley of 7.1 Burnside Sandstone Formation 41 Scotland 42 7.2 Glenvale Sandstone Formation 43 9 Lithostratigraphy for the Upper Old Red Sandstone 7.3 Knox Pulpit Sandstone Formation 44 lithofacies of the Southern Uplands Terrane 49 North of Clyde 7.4 Rosneath Conglomerate Formation 44 Plates 7.5 Stockiemuir Sandstone Formation 45 1 Coarsening-upward conglomerate bed containing The Largs Ruck area and Cumbraes andesitic lava clasts within the Auchtitench Sandstone 7.6 Wemyss Bay Sandstone Formation 45 Formation. North-east of Corsencon Hill, east of New 7.7 Skelmorlie Conglomerate Formation 46 Cumnock 11 7.8 Kelly Burn Sandstone Formation 46 2 Great Conglomerate Formation showing range of grades 7.9 Fairlie Sandstone Formation 46 and fracturing of boulders and slight imbrication. Burn Hope, 4 km upstream from Oldhamstocks 15 Bute and Arran 3 Dunnottar Castle Conglomerate Formation with 7.10 Bute Conglomerate Formation 47 sandstone lenses. Catterline, Kincardineshire 22 7.11 Undivided Stratheden Group on Arran 47 4 Basal contact of lowest lava flow of the Crawton Volcanic Formation overlying the Whitehouse Conglomerate South Ayrshire Formation. Trollochy, Kincardineshire 24 7.12 Undivided Stratheden Group in South 5 Autobrecciated lava, Ochil Volcanic Formation. Shore Ayrshire 47 east of Stannergate, Dundee 27 6 Cross-bedded sandstones showing hardened, calcareous Mull of Kintyre zones on upper parts of co-sets. Arbroath Sandstone 7.13 Undivided Stratheden Group on Mull of Member, Whiting Ness, Arbroath 28 Kintyre 47 7 Blocky, silty mudstones with thin channel-sandstone, Cromlix Mudstone Formation. East bank of River 8The Upper Devonian rocks in the Southern Uplands Almond, 100 m due south of Braehead 29 Terrane 48 8 Cliff face of andesitic lavas, with contact of enclosing granite running up the stream and round behind the left Cockburnspath–Siccar Point area end of the cliff. North face of Ben Nevis from Carn 8.1 Redheugh Mudstone Formation 48 Dearg, looking south-west 40 8.2 Greenheugh Sandstone Formation 49 9 Basal conglomerate and sandstone of the Burnside Sandstone Formation lying unconformably on Lower Other areas in the Southern Upland Terrane Devonian Arbroath Sandstone Member, Whiting Ness, 8.3 Undivided Stratheden Group 50 Arbroath 43 10 Aeolian cross-bedding in Stockiemuir Sandstone References 52 Formation, exposed in cliff at back of Main Postglacial Shoreline.