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 thin flagstones of Achanarras Quarry preserve a remarkable community of Middle Devonian freshwater fishes. This disused Caithness quarry offers the chance to examine finely layered lake sediments and search loose spoil for scales, armour and, with patience, more complete fish. NatureScot welcomes visitors and allows limited collecting under its published site rules. Devonian, Disused Quarry, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Helmsdale’s Late Jurassic foreshore records an ancient submarine landscape beside an active fault. Its distinctive Boulder Beds contain broken shells, corals and fossil wood, together with enormous blocks of much older Devonian rock. The shore northeast of the harbour rewards careful observation, although its rocky ground and tidal headlands require planning. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
The rocky shore east of Thurso exposes Middle Devonian flagstones with abundant fragmentary fossil fish remains. Scales and pieces of bony armour are the most realistic finds; complete fish are much rarer. The low cliffs and broad rock platforms also reveal the changing conditions of an ancient lake. Devonian, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Lothbeg’s Jurassic foreshore brings together pale sandstone, dark laminated siltstone and drifted plant fossils on the Sutherland coast. Around Lothbeg Point, ammonites and shells record a deepening sea beside an active fault, while leaves and other plant fragments reveal the nearby land. Exposure changes as sand and seaweed cover the rocks. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Below Dunrobin Castle, the foreshore north of Golspie reveals a changing landscape of Triassic soils, river deposits and Lower Jurassic marine rocks. Shelly beds contain bivalves and brachiopods, with rarer ammonites and belemnites, but sand and seaweed often conceal the best exposures. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Crakaig’s Jurassic foreshore is a rocky, seaweed-covered shore north of the campsite, with striking sedimentary boulder beds and occasional exposures of finer fossil-bearing rock. The original visit recorded ammonites and shells, but sand and shingle often conceal the finer beds. This is a demanding shore where changing exposure matters more than a particular season. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
At Tarbat Ness, Devonian sandstone ledges near the lighthouse have yielded small fish remains, chiefly scales and occasional larger fragments. The exposed rocky shore also offers striking cross-bedding and pebbly river deposits, but access is difficult and collecting requires permission. Devonian, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
A steep woodland walk leads to Eathie Haven, where Hugh Miller explored a shore rich in geological contrasts. Jurassic ammonites and exceptionally preserved plants come from the rocks south of the old fishing station, while much older Devonian beds to the north have yielded fossil fish. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Kintradwell’s Jurassic foreshore combines fossiliferous shales with folded sandstones and spectacular boulder beds. When the sand has cleared, ammonites, belemnites and bivalves can be seen among rocks that record an unstable ancient sea floor beside the Helmsdale Fault. Allow for a long coastal walk. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Brora’s town beaches reveal a varied Jurassic shoreline, with fossil-bearing rocks on both sides of the river mouth. Ammonites, bivalves and belemnites occur in the marine beds, while older rocks on the south foreshore record rivers, lagoons and the development of the Brora coalfield. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Portgower’s seaweed-covered foreshore exposes Jurassic boulder beds containing shell debris and enormous blocks of much older rock. The best-known is the ‘fallen stack’, a transported mass of Devonian flagstone with traces of ancient lake environments. This is a rewarding shore for studying fossils in their geological setting, although uneven rocks and tidal cover make close examination demanding. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
The low shore east of John O’Groats pier exposes a Middle Devonian fish bed within the John O’Groats Sandstone Formation. Fish scales and fragments are more likely to be recognised than complete fish, but this small protected exposure has yielded specimens of lasting scientific importance. Visit to observe and photograph its fossils and sedimentary structures. Devonian, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
The Jurassic river cliffs at Bruachrobie preserve belemnites, fragile ammonite impressions and traces of life on a changing seabed. Alternating mudstones and sandstones of the Strathsteven Mudstone Formation make this a valuable Callovian geological section, best appreciated from safe established paths. Jurassic, River Cliffs, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
South of Balintore, Jurassic foreshore ledges at Port-an-Righ and Cadh’-an-Righ lie against Devonian sandstone along the Great Glen fault system. Oysters and belemnites occur here, while red-weathering ironstone nodules preserve ammonites. The best exposures depend on low tides and the shifting cover of sand and shingle. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Bearreraig Bay on the Isle of Skye exposes a Jurassic marine succession rich in ammonites, belemnites and bivalves, with important fossil plants and an international Aalenian–Bajocian boundary reference section. The steep approach and tidal shore demand care; collecting depends on current permissions and conservation rules. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Elgol’s bivalve-packed Jurassic rocks bring ancient lagoons to life beneath the Black Cuillin skyline. The shore north of the harbour reveals shell-rich limestones, burrows and mudcracks, while the wider coast preserves a remarkable record of Middle Jurassic vertebrates and changing coastal environments. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Belemnites and shell-packed rocks bring the Jurassic shore at Faoilean to life. On the west side of Loch Slapin, sandstone cobbles and outcrops contain bivalves and belemnite fragments, with rare ammonite remains recorded farther north. The shore also introduces the sandstone succession for which this part of Skye is geologically important. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Lustrous ammonites, belemnites and shell-filled nodules make Flodigarry’s Jurassic shore a fascinating place to explore. On the northern side of Staffin Bay, fossil-rich mudrocks preserve the international reference point for the start of the Kimmeridgian. Their changing ammonite assemblages tell a remarkably detailed story across the Oxfordian–Kimmeridgian boundary. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
The weathered limestone slopes of Ben Suardal offer a glimpse of an ancient tropical sea. Look closely at the grey rock surfaces for silicified gastropod coils, standing out in the harder cherty material. These elusive fossils belong to the Ordovician part of the Durness succession, long before the Jurassic fossils better known from Skye’s shores. Ordovician, Inland Outcrop, Rating: ♦♦
The rugged shore north of Camustianavaig rewards careful observation with Jurassic ammonites and large fossil shells, set beneath the dramatic slopes of Beinn Tianavaig. Fossil-rich blocks, dark shale and younger plant-bearing rocks tell several different chapters of Skye’s geological history. The narrow coastal path and boulder-strewn shore make this a demanding outing for experienced walkers. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
The rugged shore between Holm and Prince Charlie’s Cave, north of Portree, exposes a remarkable succession of Jurassic ammonites and large fossil shells. Sandstone blocks, dark shales and iron-rich beds record changing seas along this remote part of Skye. Reaching the exposures involves a long, demanding walk over boulders and around tidal headlands. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Rigg is a rugged locality on the east coast of Skye, north of Bearreraig Bay, where Jurassic marine fossils occur in sandstone ledges and fallen blocks. Ammonites, belemnites and shell-bearing rocks reward careful observation, while younger strata in Rigg Burn add a different chapter to the local geology. The difficult approach, rough shore and tidal restrictions make this a visit for experienced, well-prepared walkers. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Valtos and Dun Dearg expose sandstone cliffs and a boulder-strewn shore with dinosaur footprints, shell-rich beds and large rounded concretions. The Bathonian, Middle Jurassic rocks preserve traces of life around ancient lagoons, making this a rewarding locality for careful observation and photography. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Dunans has a small, boulder-strewn shore where Jurassic marine mudstones yield ammonites, belemnites and bivalves. The beach below Loch Shianta includes the type section of the Dunans Clay Member, with fossil-bearing rock exposed between the stones at low tide. Search naturally weathered, loose material: the fragile shells and scientifically important beds need careful treatment. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Explore Lower Jurassic fossils on the low rocky shores and tidal inlets of the Ardnish Peninsula, east of Broadford. Layers rich in ammonites and devil’s toenails alternate with less fossiliferous rocks, making this a rewarding place to observe an ancient marine succession. Plan around the tides and put responsible observation first on this scientifically important coast. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Hallaig’s remote eastern shore on the Isle of Raasay exposes fossil-rich Lower Jurassic rocks beneath a spectacular landslip. Ammonites, brachiopods and large bivalves record changing seas, while the shore north of the ruined township reveals an important shale-to-sandstone transition. The separate bay towards Rubha na Leac exposes older fossil-bearing limestones. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Waterloo’s low rocky shore, on the eastern side of Broadford Bay, offers a short introduction to Skye’s Early Jurassic marine fossils. Curved oyster shells, other bivalves and occasional ammonites occur in the shore rocks and loose material. The main interest is the Ardnish Formation, exposed in tidal pavements close to the village. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Glasnakille’s Jurassic sandstone coast offers scattered belemnite sections and bivalves among rocky bays and striking cross-bedded cliffs. Finds are usually fragmentary, and the separate beaches require different approaches: this is a locality for patient observation, with tides and difficult access shaping every visit. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Various fossils, such as belemnites and bivalves, can be found along the beautiful and unspoilt coastline to the southeast of Kilmarie. Views from the beach are magnificent. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
The rocky shore west of Aberlady reveals Carboniferous corals, bryozoans and shells among low cliffs and tidal rock platforms. Follow the Kilspindie shore towards Craigielaw to explore fossil-rich limestone and ancient seabed traces, with changing layers recording shallow seas and coastal swamps. This protected coast is best enjoyed through careful observation and photography. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Look for Carboniferous shells, crinoids and plant remains among the river-worn rocks at Haddington’s West Mill Weir. The River Tyne brings older fossil-bearing stones into younger gravel, while a bivalve-rich ledge has also been recorded downstream. Explore from the dry riverside paths and banks; permission is needed before removing fossils. Carboniferous, River Section, Rating: ♦♦♦
The North Esk Inlier, reached from Carlops, exposes a remarkably varied succession of Silurian marine fossils in the burns and rocky slopes around North Esk Reservoir. Brachiopods, molluscs, corals and trilobites record changing ancient seas, while rare museum specimens reveal exceptional preservation. This is demanding hill country: plan an observation-led visit, check collecting permission and allow plenty of time for the rough ground beyond the reservoir paths. Silurian, Cuttings, Outcrops, Disused Quarries, Streams, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
The conspicuous spoil heap at Dalmellington contains Carboniferous Coal Measures rocks, including dark shale with fish teeth, scales and bones. Plant remains and coprolites are also recorded. Mining has mixed the material, so individual finds cannot be assigned to a source bed simply from their position on the tip. Collecting requires permission and particular care around the unstable slopes. Carboniferous, Spoil Heap, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Dob’s Linn is a classic graptolite locality in the Southern Uplands, where folded shales preserve a rich record of Ordovician and Silurian marine life. This rough upland gorge contains the international reference point for the base of the Silurian. Its thin fossil-bearing bands reward careful observation, but collecting arrangements must be checked before removing specimens. Ordovician, Silurian, Cuttings, Outcrops, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
The rocky shore from White Sands and Catcraig to Barns Ness lighthouse exposes coral-rich Carboniferous limestones, fossil soils and beds crowded with shells and crinoid debris. Broad bedding surfaces make this a rewarding place to study ancient marine life, while the limestone near the lighthouse displays an especially varied range of trace fossils. Carboniferious, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Aldons Quarry exposes Ordovician limestone and mudstone above older volcanic rocks. Its trilobites and varied shelly fossils have made it an important scientific locality, while distinctive microbial limestone records an ancient shallow sea. This overgrown disused quarry requires landowner permission and careful preparation for a visit. Ordovician, Disused Quarry, Rating: ♦♦♦
Glenmard Wood near Dailly is known for fossil-rich Ordovician mudstones, with brachiopods, molluscs and trilobites recorded from its quarrying history. The small roadstone pit photographed in 2008 is a permission-led locality reached by a long woodland approach. Its present condition and collecting arrangements must be agreed with the landowner before a visit. Ordovician, Part Working Quarry, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Craighead Quarry near Girvan exposes fossil-rich Ordovician limestone and mudstone deposited over an uneven volcanic landscape. This disused quarry is known for its brachiopods, trilobites and crinoid remains, with graptolites recorded in mudstone. It is a geological SSSI; arrange access and check collecting permissions before visiting. Ordovician, Disused Quarry, Rating: ♦♦♦
The coast from Shalloch to Whitehouse, south of Girvan, includes Woodland Bay and a remarkable sequence of Ordovician and Silurian rocks. Graptolites, trilobites and brachiopods reveal changing ancient seas, while folded beds and eroded contacts tell a more complicated story than a simple coastal walk suggests. This scientifically important shore rewards careful observation; collecting requires the appropriate permissions. Ordovician, Silurian, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
The River Ayr banks at Annbank preserve a well-studied record of Carboniferous plants, from fern-like seed plants and strap-shaped leaves to jointed stems and delicate reproductive structures. The fossil-bearing Scottish Middle Coal Measures tell a story of peat swamps, flooding and transported foliage, but steep, vegetated riverbanks make this a demanding locality where safe access and collecting permission must be established. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Ardwell Bay, south of Girvan, exposes folded Ordovician rocks containing graptolites, orthocone fragments and occasional shelly fossils. The dark, flaggy foreshore beds reward careful observation, although fossils are not common throughout. This protected coast is best explored through photography and responsible observation; check the current permissions before collecting. Ordovician, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Along Joppa Shore, east of Portobello, tilted Carboniferous rocks record changing seas, river deltas and coal-forming wetlands. Plant remains, crinoid stems and shells link the fossils to those different environments, while the rocky foreshore reveals a long succession from marine limestones to sandstone and coal measures. Carboniferious, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Auchinleck Tip contains mixed Carboniferous mine spoil, historically attributed to the Scottish Middle Coal Measures Formation. Among the hard limestone blocks, shale can yield plant stems and roots, including stems of Calamites. Many pieces are barren or poorly preserved, but the original account records occasional better plant remains. The dumped rocks no longer retain their original bed order. Carboniferious, Spoil Heap, Rating: ♦♦♦
The Early Carboniferous plants of Oxroad Bay, below Tantallon Castle near North Berwick, preserve remarkable detail of an ancient volcanic landscape. Reworked volcanic ash and calcareous beds contain stems, roots, foliage and reproductive organs. This is an important scientific locality on a rugged, tidal shore, best approached with time to observe its rocks and an understanding of its collecting restrictions. Carboniferious, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Kennedy’s Pass exposes a striking Late Ordovician succession on the Ayrshire coast, where coarse conglomerate contrasts with finer sandstone and siltstone. Occasional brachiopods and trilobites are recorded from the underlying Bellmoor Member, but fossils can be difficult to find and beach cover changes. The rocks reward careful observation; collecting arrangements and a safe approach need to be established before a visit. Ordovician, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
The foreshore east of the Forth Rail Bridge at South Queensferry exposes Carboniferous fish remains, coprolites and plant fragments, together with a distinct marine shell bed. From Port Neuk to Long Rib, folded sandstone, dark oil shale and pale intrusions reveal a changing landscape of lakes, deltas and brief marine incursions. Carboniferious, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
