Central Scotland

The written history and archaeological records of Central Scotland take us back to Pictish times some 5,000 years ago. The geology of the area stretches back a further 400 million years.

The oldest rocks are found near Lesmahagow and in the Pentland Hills. Known geologically as 'inliers', these are small areas of rocks from an older age, surrounded by younger strata. These strata have yielded some of the oldest fish on earth and are highly prized for what they tell us about early life on the planet.

Rocks of the Old Red Sandstone and the succeeding Carboniferous era underlie the rest of Central Scotland in almost equal measure. Explosive volcanic rocks, thick layers of lava, desert sandstones, limestones, and productive coal measures make up this bedrock patchwork. Then, sometime later, a covering of ice, some two kilometres thick, blanketed the landscape. It sandpapered and burnished the bedrock into the familiar scenes we see today—our matchless Scottish landscape.

The coal and iron ore, which lay beneath the ground between Edinburgh and Glasgow, provided the raw materials that drove the Industrial Revolution in Scotland. The early focus on understanding the rocks beneath our feet was unsurprisingly initially concentrated on the most useful mineral resources.

Central Scotland by Alan McKirdy explores this rich geological and historical tapestry, detailing how the unique landscape has shaped both the natural environment and human development throughout the millennia.