Most fossil hunting locations in the Midland and Grampian regions of Scotland are found along the eastern coast, where Carboniferous rocks are well exposed. These deposits yield a wide range of fossils including plant remains, brachiopods, corals, crinoids, and trace fossils such as giant millipede tracks.
Notable sites include East Wemyss, which is well known for fossil plant material, and Crail, where fossilised tree trunks can be seen in their original growth position. These locations provide important insight into Carboniferous environments.
The region of Fife also contains numerous accessible sites, largely due to its history of coal mining, which has exposed many fossil-bearing strata across the area.
At West Wemyss, Carboniferous coal seams and plant-bearing shale can be seen along the shore east of the harbour. The Scottish Middle Coal Measures Formation records rivers, lakes and wetland forests, while redistributed mining spoil adds a different source of loose rock. Visit for geological observation and photography; collecting is not recommended while a reported refusal of permission remains unresolved.
Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
The eroding mixed spoil shore west of East Wemyss reveals Carboniferous plant remains in loose shale and other tipped rock. Fern-like foliage, ribbed stems and occasional bivalves survive from ancient wetland landscapes, but mining, dumping and coastal reworking have mixed their original beds. Visit to observe and photograph; fossil removal requires permission and any applicable consent. Carboniferous, Spoil, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
The Pettycur Bay shore at Kinghorn reveals a Carboniferous volcanic landscape with an exceptional record of fossil plants. Basaltic lavas, ash-rich rocks and plant-bearing limestone preserve evidence of vegetation caught up in volcanic activity. The best-known plants were identified from carefully prepared scientific specimens, making this a rewarding place to observe geology rather than expect obvious fossils in every rock. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Elie offers two contrasting places to look for Carboniferous fossils: the sand-covered beds of Elie Shore and the rocky exposures at Wood Haven. Shells and crinoid fragments record ancient seas, while nearby volcanic necks reveal how later eruptions disrupted the sedimentary rocks. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Giant arthropod trackways and fossil trees preserved where they grew make the Carboniferous shore southwest of Crail harbour a remarkable place to explore. The sandstone ledges record ancient land surfaces, while intervening marine beds reveal repeated incursions of the sea. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
The shore east of St Monans harbour combines fossil-rich limestone, sandstone surfaces patterned by trace fossils, and the sharply folded beds of the St Monans Syncline. An observation-led walk towards the bathing pool, windmill and Pathhead reveals changing Carboniferous environments and much younger raised beaches. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
The shore west of Anstruther harbour exposes Carboniferous plant fossils, shell-bearing rocks and the tilted beds of the Anstruther Formation. Between Anstruther Wester, West Haven and Billow Ness, roots, stems and thin coals record an ancient lowland landscape interrupted by occasional marine incursions. This protected shore is best explored by looking closely and photographing finds; check the permissions below before removing anything. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
The rocky shore from East Sands to Maiden Rock reveals Carboniferous plant remains, ripple-marked sandstone and sharply folded beds. Look for fossil roots and plant fragments among the weathered surfaces, with less conspicuous shell-bearing mudstones recording occasional marine incursions. This protected, tidal shore rewards careful observation and photography. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
The small bay immediately south of Seafield Tower exposes fossil-rich Carboniferous limestone and shale beneath a prominent sandstone outcrop. Crinoid stems, corals and shells can be seen on weathered foreshore surfaces, while the local limestone has also yielded scientifically important crinoids and microscopic fossils. These rocks belong to the Lower Limestone Formation, with the principal fossil-bearing limestone dated to the late Brigantian, near the end of the Viséan.
Carboniferous, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
