Landscapes and Landforms of Scotland

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiv

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2. Landscapes and Landforms of Scotland: A Geomorphological Odyssey

   • John E. Gordon, Colin K. Ballantyne

   Pages 1-11

3. Physical Environment

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 13-13

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   2. Scotland: Geological Foundations and Landscape Evolution

      • John E. Gordon, Philip Stone

      Pages 15-40

   3. Long-Term Denudation and Geomorphology in Scotland

      • Adrian M. Hall

      Pages 41-52

   4. The Quaternary in Scotland

      • Colin K. Ballantyne, Adrian M. Hall, Alastair G. Dawson

      Pages 53-96

   5. Scotland’s Changing Landscape

      • Colin K. Ballantyne, Andrew R. Black, Rob Ferguson, John E. Gordon, James D. Hansom

      Pages 97-114

4. Landscapes and Landforms

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 115-115

      PDF

   2. Geomorphology of the Continental Shelf

      • Heather A. Stewart, Tom Bradwell, Gareth D. O. Carter, Dayton Dove, Joana Gafeira

      Pages 117-134

   3. Shetland

      • Adrian M. Hall, James D. Hansom, John E. Gordon

      Pages 135-150

   4. Orkney and Caithness

      • Adrian M. Hall, James D. Hansom

      Pages 151-168

   5. The Outer Hebrides and St Kilda

      • Adrian M. Hall, Colin K. Ballantyne, James D. Hansom

      Pages 169-191

   6. The Islands of the Hebridean Igneous Province: Skye, Mull, Rùm and Arran

      • Colin K. Ballantyne

      Pages 193-217

   7. The Islands of Islay, Jura, Colonsay, Tiree and Coll

      • Alastair G. Dawson, Colin K. Ballantyne

      Pages 219-232

   8. The Far Northwest: Sutherland, Assynt and Coigach

      • Tom Bradwell, Colin K. Ballantyne

      Pages 233-250

   9. Wester Ross

      • Colin K. Ballantyne, Tom Bradwell

      Pages 251-269

   10. Rock-Slope Failures in the North West Highlands

       • Colin K. Ballantyne

       Pages 271-287

   11. The Glacial Geomorphology Around Inverness and the Great Glen

       • Jon W. Merritt, Clive A. Auton

       Pages 289-298

   12. Glen Roy and Glen Spean

       • Adrian P. Palmer

       Pages 299-315

   13. Western Grampian Highlands

       • John E. Gordon, D. Noel Williams

       Pages 317-331

This book provides an appealing and informative overview of the outstanding landforms and landscapes of Scotland. Scotland is internationally renowned for the diversity of its geology, landforms and landscapes. The rock record spans most of geological time, from the Archaean to the Palaeogene, and represents the outcome of tectonic plate movements, associated geological processes, and sea-level and climate changes. Scotland incorporates primeval gneiss landscapes, the deeply eroded roots of the Caledonian mountain chain, landscapes of extensional tectonics and rifting, and eroded remnants of volcanic complexes that were active when the North Atlantic Ocean opened during the Palaeogene. The present relief reflects uplift and deep weathering during the Cenozoic, strongly modified during successive episodes of Pleistocene glaciation. 
 
This striking geodiversity is captured in this book through 29 chapters devoted to the evolution of Scotland’s sceneryand locations of outstanding geomorphological significance, including ancient palaeosurfaces, landscapes of glacial erosion and deposition, evidence of postglacial landscape modification by landslides, rivers and wind, and coastal geomorphology. Dedicated chapters focus on Ice Age Scotland and the associated landscapes, which range from alpine-type mountains and areas of selective glacial erosion to ice-moulded and drift-covered lowlands, and incorporate accounts of internationally renowned sites such as the ‘Parallel Roads’ of Glen Roy, the Cairngorm Mountains and the inselbergs of Assynt. Other chapters consider the record of postglacial rock-slope failures, such as the famous landslides of Trotternish on Skye, and the record of fluvial changes since deglaciation. The sea-level history of Scotland is addressed in terms of its raised and submerged shorelines, while several chapters discuss the contrasting coastal landscapes, which range from the spectacular sea cliffs of Shetland andOrkney to the beaches and dunes of eastern Scotland. The role of geoconservation in preserving Scotland’s outstanding geomorphological heritage is outlined in the final chapter. 
 
The book offers an up-to-date and richly illustrated reference guide for geomorphologists, other Earth scientists, geographers, conservationists, and all those interested in geology, physical geography, geomorphology, geotourism, geoheritage and environmental protection. 

• Caledonian Mountains
• Scotland Geomorphology
• Ice Age Scotland
• Alpine Mountains
• Geotourism
• Geoheritage

“This volume will … be a valuable addition to university or personal libraries and serve as a great first introduction to delve deeper into the broad and fascinating research history of the geomorphological legacy preserved in Scotland. Readers of The Holocene will find several chapters that mainly deal with Holocene active processes and landforms particularly helpful in this endeavour.” (Sven Lukas, The Holoscene, Vol. 33 (4), 2023)

• School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK

  Colin K. Ballantyne, John E. Gordon

Colin K. Ballantyne is Emeritus Professor of Physical Geography at the University of St Andrews and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, the Geological Society and the British Society for Geomorphology. He has published over 200 papers on various aspects of geomorphology and Quaternary science, many of which concern Scotland. His recent books include The Quaternary of Skye (2016), Periglacial Geomorphology (2018) and Scotland’s Mountain Landscapes: a Geomorphological Perspective (2019). He is an Honorary Life Member of the Quaternary Research Association and a recipient of the Clough Medal of the Edinburgh Geological Society, the Saltire Earth Science Medal, the Gordon Warwick Medal and Wiley Award of the British Society for Geomorphology, the President’s Medal, Coppock Research Medal and Newbigin Prize of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and the Lyell Medal of the Geological Society. 
 
John E. Gordon is an Honorary Professor in the School of Geography and Sustainable Development at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. His research interests include geoconservation, the Quaternary of Scotland, and mountain geomorphology and glaciation in North Norway and South Georgia. He has published many academic papers and popular articles in these fields, and is co-author/co-editor of books including Quaternary of Scotland (1993), Antarctic Environments and Resources (1998), Earth Science and the Natural Heritage (2001), Land of Mountain and Flood: the Geology and Landforms of Scotland (2007) and Advances in Scottish Quaternary Studies, a special issue of Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2019). He is a Fellow of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, an Honorary Member of the Quaternary Research Association and a Deputy Chair of the Geoheritage Specialist Group of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas. 

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