Page 292 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

Volcanic Geotourism in West Coast Scotland 269

Figure 18.6 The Glen Coe area viewed south-east from Pap of Glencoe – the extensive outcrop of a deeply eroded
volcanic caldera
Note: Most recently the action of ice which melted some 11,000 years ago has had an obvious impact on the spectacular mountain landscape much
explored by hill walkers and climbers

from the collision of giant tectonic plates, but also noteworthy for its layered ultrabasic complex,
the dramatic volcanic activity associated with the probably the remnant of a Hawai‘ian style shield
much later plate rifting when Greenland and volcano; as such it is a major research location in the
Europe drifted apart. The igneous rocks formed understanding of basaltic volcanism. The calderas
when the Caledonian mountains were created were the inspiration for the geopark’s logo.
include several calderas; these were actually first Setting aside the geology, the mountainous
recognized and described from Glen Coe, in the scenery of the geopark is spectacular and it requires
early years of the 20th century, where the road some agility to explore many of the key volcanic
runs right across a deeply eroded ancient example outcrops. In the 18th century, lead ore was mined
(see Figure 18.6). near Strontian from where a new mineral was
The geology of the Glen Coe caldera volcano discovered which the chemist Adair Crawford
has recently been resurveyed and a new map and named strontianite after the village. It was from
handbook (Kokelaar and Moore, 2005) published; strontianite that the element strontium was first
the latter notes that it is now interpreted as a new isolated by Sir Humphrey Davy around 1807. The
form of ‘probably the world’s best exposed, LGA has published several promotional leaflets and
tectonically controlled, multi-subsidence, piecemeal trails suitable for casual geotourists; it has also
caldera volcano’ (Kokelaar and Moore, 2005, p30). promoted numerous tourism events. Meanwhile
Again, the rocks forming the summit of Ben Nevis SNH has published several in its ‘Landscape
collapsed more than 600 metres to form a similar Fashioned by Geology’ series booklets on both
caldera around 400 million years ago. Rum is Lochaber’s and the west coast of Scotland’s geology.

Ch18.indd 269 3/29/2010 11:09:04 AM