From threat to future asset—The legacy of opencast surface-mined coal in Scotland

Abstract

The recent economic collapse of the opencast surface coal mining industry in the Midland Valley of Scotland has left behind a number of abandoned voids that reveal stunning 3D exposures in strategically important strata. A strong case can be made for retaining these large-scale, often continuous and very detailed geological sections that might otherwise have been lost to us, along with their relevant digital geological and geotechnical datasets and other social and industrial records. In particular, Spireslack and Mainshill Wood opencast workings might be seen by some as industrial scars on the Scottish landscape, but they can instead both be turned into national assets for multidisciplinary Geoscience research and learning in general, supporting high-quality international research into Carboniferous geology. Such opencast sites can also provide a rich visitor and/or learning experience for the wider public in coal geology, illuminating aspects of a former way of life of previous generations.