Strontian Page

The group of mines known as the Strontian mines have been worked from the beginning of the 18th century and would probably of lapsed into obscurity but for a major re-working in the 1980’s which besides supplying barite for the North Sea oil drilling industry, has provided a supply of specimens onto the market and ‘re-invented’ the location for mineralogists.
Originally the mineralised extent of the main Strontian vein was divided into 5 setts, Corrantee, Whitesmith, Middleshop, Bellsgrove and Fee Donald.
Strontian is the Type locality for Strontianite and Brewsterite. The strontianite occurs in sprays of white, green or brown crystals and was found mainly at Bellsgrove and Whitesmith mines. Brewsterite generally occurs in thin fissures often coating calcite and occasionally strontianite or harmotome with crystals generally to 4 to 5mm long up to a maximum of about 10mm. Some of the world's best harmotome specimens have been found at Strontian, old specimens with lustrous crystals up to 25-30mm can be seen in the museum collections, although in recent times, 5-10mm sizes are more typical. Other minerals found are sphalerite, galena, pyrite, smoky quartz and rarely heulandite. Calcite occurs in many different forms, individual crystals not infrequently displaying multiple growth habits. Although latterly mined for barite, crystallised barite is rare. Recent identification work has added to the species list; millerite, apatite, ancylite as small pale pink on calcite and most recent of all, Kainosite, a full description of its occurrence here willl be published in the UK Journal of Mines and Minerals No. 26.
The deposit was first discovered in 1722 by Sir Alexander Murray of Stanhope, mining then commencing for lead ore. The mine was worked from 1724 to 1740 by the York Building Co. and then intermittently throughout the 18th and 19th centuries by various companies and miners but reports suggest that little return was achieved from the mines.
During the 18th century mining was even more problematical than it normally is. One contemporary report stated that amongst the companies many