I usually run a monthly geology walk on Sundays in the summer months from June to September as part of the weekly walk programme organised by the Islay Natural History Trust.
Geology Walks 2025
Walks for 2025 now finished. See below
Previous Walks
3 August 2025: Kilnaughton
650 million-year-old metamorphosed sedimentary rocks with a complex history Plus dykes, raised beaches, a lighthouse and the Singing Sands beach.
27 July 2025: Saligo Bay
800-million-year-old greywackes plus folds, several igneous intrusions and flint hunting. Spectacular beach setting.
1 June 2025: Portnahaven
A coastal walk which started at Currie Sands nr Portnahaven and went along the coast northwards past the old wave generator to Rubha na Faing with views over Frenchman’s Rocks.
On-line lecture Recording
A recording of a talk on the Port Askaig Formation given to the Geological Society of Glasgow in April 2024
6 August 2023 Port Ellen
23 July 2023 Saligo
10th July 2022: Kilchiaran
The billion-year gap, old slate quarries, and spectacular glacial features!
Sunday 5th June 2022
Geology Walk at Kilnaughton – How old is Islay? Why is the shape it is? How does the geology of the island affect the whisky? Oh, its a nice easy walk too; out to the lighthouse and then to the Singing Sands and back.
Past Walks (pre-Covid-19)
Click Here
Virtual Field Excursions
During the outbreak of Covid-19 geological field trips and lectures organised by the Geological Society of Glasgow were postponed or cancelled. So here are a few videos of geological highlights and virtual field trips done on Zoom to Islay, Jura and Colonsay.
An Introduction to the Geology of Islay
This is a recording of a presentation on the Geology of Islay given on zoom to the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow. Its at ‘entry-level’ technically and gives an overview of the geology of Islay and how it relates to its human history and of course to its whisky!
North Coast of Islay
The stromatolites of the Bonahaven Dolomite Formation exposed on the north coast of Islay are some of the best examples of these ancient relics of Precambrian life in the world. This video is a virtual field trip (prepared for the Geological Society of Glasgow during the C-19 lockdown) to see them and other fantastic geology in this remote and hard-to-get-to location.
Ballygrant & Snowball Earth
A virtual field trip to The Ballygrant area of Islay run for the Geological Society of Glasgow during the Covid-19 lockdown. This is a great place to observe the rocks that were formed at the start of a major glaciation (possibly a ‘Snowball Earth’) that occurred some 700 million years ago. Plus there’s some old lead mines dating back to the 14th century and evidence of possibly the earliest human habitation in Scotland some 11,000 years ago.
Introduction to the Geology of Jura
Jura is famous for Goeorge Orwell, the Corryvreckan whirlpool and its deer. It also has some good geology and geomorphology too. This talk was given during the Covid-19 lockdown as part of the ‘lockdown lectures’ series of talks on www.geowalks.co.uk
An Introduction to the Geology of Colonsay
Colonsay has some good geology and is a beautiful island to visit. This talk was given during the Covid-19 lockdown for the Islay Natural History Trust in February 2021.
A virtual field trip to Rhinns of Islay run for the Geological Society of Glasgow during the Covid-19 lockdown. The focus here is on the metamorphic and tectonic evolution of the Rhinns Complex and the overlying earliest metasediments of the Colonsay Group.
A virtual field trip to the South Coast of Islay run for the Edinburgh Geological Society during the Covid-19 lockdown. The focus here is on the igneous and metamorphic history of various igneous intrusions found here.