Scotland

Scotland is one of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom, and is known for its mineral wealth, including coal, oil shales, iron, copper, lead, zinc and silver ores. Native gold is also found here.

Oil and gas extraction is found in the North Sea and is primarily extracted through Scotland too.

If you’d like to filter products by county, use the following links: • Angus • Argyll and Bute • Dumfries and Galloway • Highlands • North Ayrshire • Perth and Kinross • Shetland Islands • South Lanarkshire •

It is not possible for me to write a full account of Scottish geology and minerals, so I am hoping to cover the very basics.

Scotland is the type locality for at least 30 minerals, with many given names associated with Scotland or Scottish individuals; Caledonite, Greenockite, Lanarkite, Leadhillite, Macaulayite, Macphersonite, Mattheddleite, Mullite, Scotlandite, Strontianite, Susannite, and Tobermorite are all named after either Scottish locations or individuals, primarily geologists or prominent collectors.

 

I highly recommend having a look at the website of the Scottish Geology Trust, which has articles on many of Scotlands best geological spots and areas, and information on collecting fossils and minerals around the country.

Their geosites mapping product is one of the best resources for mineral collectors or geology enthusiasts, showing over a thousand geological sites overlaid onto an OS map (optionally over a geological map). Highly recommended, and great to cross reference with Mindat.

The best known area for mineral collectors is probably the area around Leadhills, in South Lanarkshire, and Wanlockhead in Dumfries and Galloway – the two are sometimes combined and known as the Leadhills-Wanlockhead mining district.

This is an old lead and zinc mining area, now abandoned and dotted with old mines, although much of it is also covered by SSSI status, meaning mineral collection may or may not be allowed.

Scotland, and in particular the Isle of Skye is well known for zeolite minerals, with many locales producing quality specimens of a range of minerals – apophyllite, chabazite, erionite, gyrolite, heulandite, levyne, mesolite, stilbite, thomsonite, and others!

 

 

If you’d like to filter products by county, use the following links: • Angus • Argyll and Bute • Dumfries and Galloway • Highlands • North Ayrshire • Perth and Kinross • Shetland Islands • South Lanarkshire •

 

We do have stock from various locales around Scotland, including:

Scottish locales

Angus Argyll and Bute Dumfries and Galloway East Renfrewshire Highlands Lanarkshire   North Ayrshire Perth and Kinross South Lanarkshire

 

For the rest of our UK stock, see

United Kingdom

Fossils from the United Kingdom - Minerals from the United Kingdom