The Causeway Coast and Glens

Leader: Dr Fiona Meade

Field days: Friday (afternoon)/Saturday/Sunday/Monday (morning)

Beginning around lunchtime on Friday, we plan to explore over 600 million years of geological history exposed the northeast Irish coast of County Antrim, from Portrush to the Giant’s Causeway and Ballintoy Bay.  The rocks are superb, with ages ranging through the Precambrian (basement), Dalradian Supergroup, Devonian (puddingstone conglomerate), Carboniferous, Triassic, Jurassic (ammonites, belemnites and bivalves), Cretaceous (chalk and metamorphosed chalk), Tertiary (including, of course, the spectacular North Atlantic Igneous Province (Palaeogene) with its lavas, sills and volcanic plugs.  We should finish around lunchtime on Monday.

Logistics/accessibility: Exposures are easily accessible using beaches and coastal paths, with some longer, flat, walks. Access to the visitor centre at the Giant’s Causeway is free to National Trust and NTS members. (Bring your card if you are a member.)

Accommodation will be in B & B and travel in shared cars.

The itinerary for the excursion can be found here.

If you are interested in joining this excursion, please contact the Residential Excursion Secretary, Maggie Donnelly (restrips@gsocg.org).