http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Rockfall on Arthurs seat en Fri, 22 May 2026 16:52:06 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10785#post-119543 Fri, 26 Jul 2013 16:43:47 +0000 earthowned 119543@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Sorry, didn't mean to offend. I was trying to imply that petrographers are poncy!</p> <p>You're right though - the bits of rock I've seen are too fine grained for me to call gabbro. I would stick with good old plain basalt, but then I'm a simple man. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10785#post-119541 Fri, 26 Jul 2013 16:39:47 +0000 kaputnik 119541@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I never got beyond the distinction between sedimentary and igneous rocks so I'm content to know that Arthur's Seat has both. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10785#post-119539 Fri, 26 Jul 2013 16:37:05 +0000 EddieD 119539@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I wasn't trying to sound poncy - I just called up the Geological map on the O/S archive, right click, copy, paste...</p> <p>I wouldn't have guessed gabbro at all - far smoother than I'm used to </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10785#post-119535 Fri, 26 Jul 2013 16:27:50 +0000 earthowned 119535@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>For a simple geological history of Holyrood park and environs I would recommend looking at the <a href="http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/field/holyrood/history.html">School of Geosciences</a> webpages which also has a cool <a href="http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/field/holyrood/map.html">geological map</a>.</p> <p>As an ex-field geologist* I wouldn't use petrographic names to describe rock outcrops because you just sound poncy ;-)</p> <p>(*You can take the man from the mountain, but not the mountain from the man) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10785#post-119533 Fri, 26 Jul 2013 15:53:34 +0000 Cyclingmollie 119533@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>So gabbro then with 400 million years of weathering. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10785#post-119530 Fri, 26 Jul 2013 15:26:45 +0000 stiltskin 119530@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em><blockquote>and apparently the chunk that is above the road from Dunsapie back to the Widows is Plagioclase-Olivine-Clinopyroxene-Macrophyric Microgabbro.</blockquote></em><br /> Yes, I thought it was, but normally I'm too busy trying to set a good strava time to stop and make sure. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10785#post-119526 Fri, 26 Jul 2013 14:06:06 +0000 algo 119526@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Adult Oriented Rock then... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10785#post-119525 Fri, 26 Jul 2013 14:04:31 +0000 EddieD 119525@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>THe Lions Head Vent (i.e. the peak) is apparently Olivine-Macrophyric Microgabbro, surrounded by Carboniferous-Permian agglomerate...and apparently the chunk that is above the road from Dunsapie back to the Widows is Plagioclase-Olivine-Clinopyroxene-Macrophyric Microgabbro.</p> <p>So there. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10785#post-119523 Fri, 26 Jul 2013 13:37:41 +0000 stiltskin 119523@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Well seeing as how I am the proud possessor of an A-level in Geology I can authoritatively confirm that it is indeed .... Rock</p> <p>^ great app BTW! Thanks for that. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10785#post-119522 Fri, 26 Jul 2013 13:35:36 +0000 Bhachgen 119522@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>"Or maybe they were coming home from climbing"</em></p> <p>You can actually get a permit from the Park Rangers for rock climbing on the crags. I was inexplicably chuffed to possess one a few years back when a friend decided to have a climbing session as part of his stag celebrations.</p> <p>(Climbing and BBQ in the park followed by an evening in Diane's Pool Hall and then err... some pubs... Blue Blazer... mebbe... all gets a bit hazy after Diane's tbh)</p> <p>If you really want to know what sort of rocks are present on Arthurs Seat, or indeed anywhere else you may happen to be in the UK, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.ac.bgs.iGeology3D&amp;hl=en">this app</a> provides endless nerdish fun. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10785#post-119518 Fri, 26 Jul 2013 13:18:14 +0000 Cyclingmollie 119518@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>stiltskin: <em>"Or whatever it is"</em></p> <p>I'm surprised no-one has said what it might be. Arthur's Seat is a world famous much studied geological site. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10785#post-119507 Fri, 26 Jul 2013 11:35:41 +0000 kaputnik 119507@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I've seen a small number of persons cycling aroudn town in rock-climbing helmets. I didn't understand why, until now.</p> <p>(Or maybe they were coming home from climbing) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10785#post-119506 Fri, 26 Jul 2013 11:21:13 +0000 algo 119506@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I had to fix two roof problems recently and got attacked by seagulls - once I had no helmet, and the other time I forgot to take it off. I felt a great deal safer with my helmet on, but I'm fairly certain seagulls were swooping much closer and I was taking more risks. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10785#post-119438 Thu, 25 Jul 2013 14:38:47 +0000 stiltskin 119438@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Perhaps we should add this to the helmet thread. How much protection does one provide from falling granite? (Or whatever it is) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10785#post-119434 Thu, 25 Jul 2013 14:09:44 +0000 algo 119434@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I went round a few times last night - even did a video of it as it was such beautiful weather. Video is about as exciting as watching paint dry at the speed I go up the hill, but amazing light nonetheless. Such a pleasure not to have any cars round there too - just beware if you're cycling into the sun later on that the rockfall is right at the beginning of the final downhill section.... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10785#post-119305 Wed, 24 Jul 2013 15:19:01 +0000 Snowy 119305@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Upper road is officially still closed due to a rockfall covering the width of the road at the SW side.</p> <p>However, the nice Historic Scotland man said that if I didn't mind falling rocks, and if I didn't mind dodging the tractor putting out the gorse fires, he was happy that I went for a ride round :-) </p>