Girvan (Joint EGS trip)

Leaders: Neil Clark, Gary Hoare and Katie Strang

A look at the rocks and fossils of the Girvan southern foreshore that have been studied for well over a

century. Elizabeth Gray, the famous Scottish 19th century fossil collector and facilitator of research grew

up here. Her discoveries led to our current understanding of the divisions of the early Palaeozoic. Other

well-known researchers include Sir Alwyn Williams, Charles Lapworth, Keith Ingham and many more.

The visit starts with a look at the Cascade Folds of Ardwell Bay and a beach pebble hunt to see the

variety of pebbles associated with the Ordovician rocks of this area.

Ardwell Cascade Slumps

The Whitehouse Shore is where Elizabeth Gray quarried trilobites, brachiopods, graptolites and bryozoa.

The red mudstones here also contain fossil trilobites that were being worked on by Keith Ingham. Many

species new to science were excavated from here by Keith but few were published on before he died.

We might find trilobites of our own here! These localities are SSSI (Special Sites of Scientific Interest),

but hammering is restricted to loose material.

The final stop is to examine the conglomerates on the beach at Ainslie Manor. The first one contains a lot

of white brecciated quartz and dolomitised limestone and another is more varied with large cobbles of

basalt, quartzite, chert, sandstone and jasper. These were deposited close to a fault that was active

during the deposition of the conglomerates. After that it is hoped that we can have a fish supper at a local

establishment in Girvan.

Bus leaving Waterloo Place, Edinburgh at 8.10am

Bus collecting GSG members at Molema Building 9.30am arriving in Girvan around 10.30am

Return journey departs Girvan 5.30pm

Level 1: Multiaccess – “All users including people with reduced mobility.”
Level 2: Easy – All levels of fitness and family groups including children and the elderly
Level 3: Moderate – “People with a moderate level of fitness.” An amount of walking over beach boulders etc
Level 4: Strenuous – “People accustomed to walking rough trails and with a high level of fitness.”