Dysartian
Skye Trip - A Close-up of Kilt Rock (Creag an Feilidh)
I have been told this made Explore front page on 20 August 2009. That's nice!
Made Explore #78 on 21 August 2009.
The two photos I have posted today were both taken at Kilt Rock (Creag an Feilidh) near Staffin, Isle of Skye, where 200 foot (63 m) high cliffs are marked out like a carefully pleated kilt and a beautiful waterfall (see other photo) plunges straight down into the sea amongst giant fallen blocks of Jurassic sandstone. On a grey day we were lucky enough to reach here just as the sun broke through and shone on the rocks!
Between 61-55 million years ago, massive volcanic activity poured lavas across the North West Highlands and the northwest part of the Isle of Skye. At Staffin, igneous rocks didn’t reach the surface, but instead forced the flat-lying Jurassic age sandstones apart to form a thick igneous sill. The upper sandstone layers are mainly eroded away at the top of the cliffs, but it is columnar jointing in the intrusive igneous rocks which forms the pleats of the kilt. Another interesting point is that Scotland’s most prolific dinosaur traces are found on Staffin Beach where Hadrosaur footprints and other dinosaur remains have been found.
Skye Trip - A Close-up of Kilt Rock (Creag an Feilidh)
I have been told this made Explore front page on 20 August 2009. That's nice!
Made Explore #78 on 21 August 2009.
The two photos I have posted today were both taken at Kilt Rock (Creag an Feilidh) near Staffin, Isle of Skye, where 200 foot (63 m) high cliffs are marked out like a carefully pleated kilt and a beautiful waterfall (see other photo) plunges straight down into the sea amongst giant fallen blocks of Jurassic sandstone. On a grey day we were lucky enough to reach here just as the sun broke through and shone on the rocks!
Between 61-55 million years ago, massive volcanic activity poured lavas across the North West Highlands and the northwest part of the Isle of Skye. At Staffin, igneous rocks didn’t reach the surface, but instead forced the flat-lying Jurassic age sandstones apart to form a thick igneous sill. The upper sandstone layers are mainly eroded away at the top of the cliffs, but it is columnar jointing in the intrusive igneous rocks which forms the pleats of the kilt. Another interesting point is that Scotland’s most prolific dinosaur traces are found on Staffin Beach where Hadrosaur footprints and other dinosaur remains have been found.