Glencartholm
Geological Conservation Review site | GCR #1583 | Palaeontology | Arthropoda
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
This is a key site for studies of ancient, Silurian-aged, arthropods. Here can be found a suite of distinctive eurypterids, scorpions and other arthropods typical of the Silurian faunas of the Pentland Hills. Of the fifteen species recorded here, mostly eurypterids, fourteen have this as their type locality. These include stylonuroid eurypterids, unusual stilt-legged walking forms (as opposed to normal swimming eurypterids). A site of outstanding importance in studies of fossil arthropods.
Related geosites
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