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| The
Isle of Skye
is one of the larger islands lying off the northwest coast of Scotland.
Until recently travel from the mainland was by a short ferry crossing but
a bridge now allows direct road access, recently made toll free. Although
not far north of the main cities of Scotland it takes a long time to drive
there on slow, winding roads. Even after a considerable drive from the south
to Glasgow, the island is still some 3 hours drive further! The Scottish mineral collector Matthew Forster Heddle brought the Isle of Skye to the attention of mineralogists with the publication (posthumously) in 1901 of the two volume Mineralogy of Scotland. |
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Of
particular interest were the many zeolite localities he listed in the Tertiary
volcanic lavas which form the predominant part of the island. The lavas,
originally up to 6,000 metres thick, are in places highly vesicular and
whilst in general “Poona” size crystals can’t be found, the
variety and quality of the crystal groups are exceptional for Great Britain. His collection, amassed from his many explorations to mineral sites throughout Scotland, can be seen at the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh. The last two decades has seen a resurgence of interest in the island’s mineralogy with many localities having been ‘rediscovered’, initiated by the Sussex Mineral & Lapidary Society's visit in 1990, well documented in the UK Journal of Mines & Minerals; Issue 10. Recent collecting seasons has not been as productive at the classic localities as those in the 1990's with Sgurr nam Boc and Moonen Bay yielding little to match the best of earlier finds. Nevertheless some interesting finds have been made particularly at some of the lesser known sites and with the possibility of winter storms displacing mineralised boulders the possibility of future exceptional finds cannot be ruled out. With access to beach locations limited to certain states of the tide and the possibility of cliff rockfalls, great care and planning are needed at all times. Permission to visit inland sites should always be obtained and checks made as to whether a particular site is designated as an SSSI. |
| Moonen
Bay Extensive lateral collecting area along the beach with concentrations of specific mineral species in certain areas. Pale green and clear apophyllite to about 20mm, (among the best from the Isle of Skye), chabazite, thomsonite, heulandite, gyrolite, levyne, native copper, phillipsite, analcime, stilbite, calcite (light cream to dark brown), cowlesite, scolecite, stellerite, erionite |
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| Sgurr
Nam Fiadh Attractive stilbite groups, mesolite and chabazite. |
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| Camas
na h-Uamha, A little known locality, unusual specimens were found of rhombohedral calcite growing on micro-stilbite coating an earlier generation of slender scalenohedral calcite. |
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| Sgurr Nan Cearcall Besides pale turquoise coloured prehnite the proximity of this location to the Cuillin Metamorphic Aureole has given rise to epidote, quartz, calcite and native copper mineralisation with copper secondary minerals including malachite and connellite. Edinbane Road cuttings near here have produced good specimens of the rare zeolite stellerite plus stilbite and erionite. The Storr and Quiraing Stilbite, chabazite and apophyllite. |
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| Oisgill Bay Stilbite, usually white rather than cream coloured, natrolite, heulandite, natrolite, phillipsite, levyne, cowlesite. Ollisdal Geo Area A recent field trip by the SMLS found green and brown apophyllite. Previously fine distorted beds of calcite crystals were found here. Sgurr Nam Boc Extremely difficult access down a 700ft cliff. Excellent stilbite 'bow-ties' have come from here up to 100mm. Epistilbite, quartz, heulandite and apophyllite. |
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| Talisker Bay Excellent specimens of honey coloured calcite usually accompanied by analcime or chabazite. The chabazite can be pale pink, cream or white. Epistilbite too has been found near the sea stack. |
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