LIVE FROM HELMSDALE, SCOTLAND - 27th June - 4th July
Last update: 4th July 2003
INTRODUCTION
The Seventh in the series of UK Fossils Live, events as they unfold, please note that due to very poor GPRS signals, in order to update this site, we need to climb 150 metres up a small mountain at the back of where we are based in order to pick up GPRS. Depending on how energetic we are and/or weather conditions, we will try to update as often as we can.
Day 1 - 27th June 2003
During the evening of the first day, we made our first wee visit. We took a trip to Portgower to examine the Kimmeridge Boulder Beds. A few fragments of ammonite were collected along with a few shells. The coastline from Brora to Helmsdale contains many Jurassic Rocks due to a massive fault known as the 'Helmsdale Fault'. It is one of the only opportunities to collect Jurassic Fossils in this part of Scotland.
Day 2 - 28th June 2003
On the second day, we visited the North side of Brora to examine the Oxfordian sequence exposed on the foreshore in boulders. A few ammonites were collected, one approx. 4.5 inches and complete, another flat type. Many shells, a wide variety of Bivalves and Gryphea type spanning up to 3.5 inches also collected.
Day 3 - 29th June 2003
The coastline from Helmsdale to the Ord of Caithness is one of the most geologically fascinating locations in the North East of Scotland. Once the tide goes out, the foreshore rocks and ledges exposed yield ammonites, corals, shells and many Reptile and Fish Remains. Many Corals were collected from the Kimmeridge Boulder Beds, one 14 inches wide. A small pliosaur or Plesiosaurus vertebrae was found amongst the shingle where Kimmeridge Shale was exposed below. A small phalange bone from the Kimmeridge Boulder Beds along with a large Ichthyosaurus Vertebrae approx 3 inches in Diameter. The Ichthyosaurus Vertebrae took over an hour to knock out (The Boulder Beds are harder than Concrete, normally fossils are quite easy to knock out through natural cracks or bedding plains but this one was in the middle of a large slab with no natural bedding plains or cracks) and we were luckily for it came out whole, it took three hammers, one 4lb and two chisels with a lot of man power and patience, but was well worth the effort.
Pliosaur or Plesiosaurus Vertebrae
Ichthyosaurus Vertebrae
Day 3 - 30th June 2003
A day of four visits. During the morning we took a short break from fossils and went in search of Quartz and Gold along the Helmsdale River at a place known as Baile an Or. Many Gold Leaf Flakes and other small Mineral grains including Quartz was collected by panning the fine sediment at the bottom of the river. Panning is free of charge but only allowed for a maximum of two weeks per person per year. We also made a remarkable discovery, a very large quartz boulder covered in gold leaf.
Gold in Quartz, a small section of the large boulder found
During the afternoon the Sandstone Plant Beds at Lothbeg were examined with Kimmeridge Clay, but unfortunately no finds were made. The other side of Lothbeg, Crackaig contained a number of ammonite fragments in a brown slate but also a large amount of unfossilferious granite.
During the evening, a second visit to Helmsdale was very successful. Two more large corals found, fish fragments, a large fish jaw, sea urchin spines and a short sharks spine.
Large Coral - Isastrea Oblonga
Fish Jaw (Needs Work to remove Recent Barnacles)
Day 4 - 1st July 2003
Achanarras Quarry, disused but still very productive is controlled by Scottish Heritage. To collect from the quarry, you need a permit which can be obtained by contacting Scottish Heritage. Collecting must not be for commercial purposes and there is a limit on the number of specimens you can bring back, 10 specimens and one visit is allowed per permit issued, however fish often form doubles when split which are not counted and larger slabs can also contain more than one fish which again is not included.
The Caithness Flagstone of the Devonian period is rich in Fossil Fish, the fish tend to be quite fragile and need preservation as quickly as possible to avoid flaking. We collected several fragments of fish and two complete fish. There is a vast amount of shale to look and split through but there is only two zones that contain the fish, so patience is required. In total we collected 7 specimens (9 including both sides of the complete fish)
Day 5 - 2nd July 2003
On the Fifth day of our Geological Tour of Scotland, we visited Spittal Quarry, a working quarry of the Caithness Flagstones similar to those of Achanarras except the lower beds. A few fish fragments were collected from spoil heaps but unfortunately the zones that are being currently quarried are not deep enough for any good samples to find and split.
During the afternoon a visit to Thurso, once again the Devonian Caithness Flagstones similar to both Spittal and Achanarras but with different zones. Many fish scales and fragments were collected and a fish skull. The fish skull was a head shield and needs a lot of preparation work since it continuous further into the rock as it can be seen on the opposite side of the rock. The head shield should be almost complete.
Fish Scales
Fish Skull
Fish Scales and Fragments in one slab
Day 6 - 3rd July 2003
Our original trip to Brora was looking at the beds North of the River, today we re-visited Brora to examine the beds South of the river which are completly different. Unfortunatly the beach was covered up with sand so the beds were not exposed.
During the afternoon we continued our trip to Thurso since we ran out of time on the previous visit, this time exploring further along the coast. More fragments of fish were collected.
Day 7 - 4th July 2003
On the final day of UK Fossils LIVE from Scotland, we made a visit to Golspie to examine the Jurassic Lias. Unfortunately the beds were not exposed due to a vast amount of sand which made a disappointing end to this highly successful trip. However we have made many good finds during this week.
