Name: The geology of Portsoy
Start: 2026-06-07T12:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-06-07T15:00:00+01:00
Location: Portsoy, Aberdeenshire

From Ocean Crust to Polished Stone: A Geology Tour of Portsoy with @ScottishGeologisT
Join @ScottishGeologist for a captivating geology tour of Portsoy, a picturesque coastal town on the Moray Firth famous for its serpentinite, ancient oceanic rocks, and historical use of stone. This tour reveals the deep geological past of northeast Scotland, where fragments of the Earth’s oceanic crust have been uplifted and exposed at the surface.
What to Expect
🪨 Explore Ancient Oceanic Rocks
Portsoy is part of the Portsoy Shear Zone—a complex geological area that includes serpentinite, gabbro, and metamorphic rocks that originated deep beneath the ocean floor. Learn how these rocks were formed at mid-ocean ridges over 470 million years ago and later pushed onto the continent during tectonic collisions.
🌊 Discover Scotland’s Ophiolite Fragments
Walk along the coastline and see rocks that once formed the mantle and lower oceanic crust—a rare and scientifically important occurrence. Understand how these fragments became part of the Grampian Terrane during the Caledonian Orogeny (mountain-building event).
🌍 Tectonics, Metamorphism & Shearing
Examine highly deformed and metamorphosed rocks along fault zones, where intense pressure and heat changed their mineral structure. Learn how the Portsoy area provides a window into plate tectonics, subduction zones, and continental collisions.
🏛️ Local Industry and “Portsoy Marble”
Learn how the unique green and white serpentinite, often called Portsoy marble, was quarried and polished for use in decorative stonework—some of which even found its way into grand buildings and ornaments across Europe.
👣 Guided Walk Along the Coast
Enjoy a scenic coastal walk, observing rock outcrops, shear zones, and polished surfaces. Participate in hands-on activities like rock identification, geological sketching, and interpreting structural features like folds and faults.
💎 Mineral Spotting
Although Portsoy is not a major fossil site, the mineralogy of the area is rich. Look for talc, magnetite, and chlorite, and understand how fluids circulating through the rocks altered their chemistry.
Who Should Attend?
This tour is ideal for geology enthusiasts, students, nature lovers, and anyone fascinated by the Earth’s tectonic past. Whether you’re new to geology or more experienced, you’ll find something to inspire and learn from.
Information on meeting point will be sent out a week before the tour.
Why Join This Tour?
Led by the knowledgeable @ScottishGeologist, this tour combines stunning scenery, hands-on geology, and a rare chance to explore rocks from the Earth’s oceanic crust. Portsoy is one of the few places in Scotland where deep Earth materials are brought to the surface—don’t miss this yopportunity to walk through deep time.