Castle Hill
Geological Conservation Review site | GCR #1986 | Quaternary Geology | Quaternary of Scotland
Scotland's geosites are chosen because of their local, national or international importance. Take only photos, leave only footprints: avoid causing any damage to this site. You can walk almost anywhere in Scotland without the need to ask permission or keep to paths, but you have a responsibility to care for your own safety, to respect people's privacy and peace of mind and to cause no damage.
This site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It is an offence to intentionally or recklessly damage the protected natural features of a SSSI, and this includes unauthorised sample collection.
The right of access does not extend to quarries, building sites or any land where public access is prohibited, or to the collection of geological samples.
Summary
The sediments at Castle Hill comprise a thick sequence of glacial and glaciolacustrine deposits. This includes interbedded shelly clay, till and sand, interpreted as glaciotectonic rafts of marine sediment deposited by ice moving SE from the Moray Firth. During deglaciation, silts were deposited in ice-dammed lakes ponded along the coast.
Castle Hill is important for studies of Late Quaternary events on the Moray Firth Coast of north-east Scotland. The stratigraphy comprises 1) slope deposits; 2) a complex of sands and clays and shelly sands; 3) till; 4) sands and silts. It records a complex sequence of events associated with the last glaciation and deglaciation and involving the presence of ice-dammed lakes. Because of the complex stratigraphy, the organic content and the potential for dating, Castle Hill has an important role to play in interpreting the Late Quaternary sequence in north-east Scotland.
Site information
Access
A good view of Castle Hill may be obtained from the steep lane leading down to the ruins of St John's Church. There is a small car park at NJ79086397. Vehicles without much ground clearance should be parked in the old quarry NJ78856336. At present, exposure is a landslipped face on the W side. Those wishing to examine the section close up should seek permission at Findon farm.
Further information
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/%28SICI%291…
Reinvestigation of the lower part of the key Quaternary section at Castle Hill, Gardenstown, has shown that the sediments are not in stratigraphical order, but consist chiefly of glaciotectonites, including rafts of soft sediments, which were deposited by ice moving southeastwards from the Moray Firth.
