@scottishgeologist: 🌋 Did you know Edinburgh is built around the remains of an ancient volcano? Arthur’s Seat is one of the best places in Scotland to see evidence of Edinburgh’s volcanic past. Around 340 million years ago, during the Carboniferous Period, this area looked very different. Magma rose through the crust and erupted at the surface, building a volcanic complex where Edinburgh now stands. Today, erosion has stripped away much of that volcano, exposing the harder volcanic rocks that once formed beneath and around it. But there’s another important part of the story here… 🪨 At Salisbury Crags, magma forced its way between layers of sedimentary rock but never reached the surface. It cooled underground to form a dolerite sill — the famous Salisbury Crags Sill. These rocks later played an important role in the history of geology itself. James Hutton studied the relationship between the dolerite and the surrounding sedimentary rocks here, helping him recognise that molten rock could be injected into older rocks — evidence that helped shape our understanding of a dynamic Earth. So when you climb Arthur’s Seat, you’re not just walking up an extinct volcano… You’re walking through 340 million years of volcanic activity, erosion and geological discovery — right in the middle of Scotland’s capital. 🌍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Luisa | Scottishgeologist

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Sunday 20 September 2026 22:48:51 GMT