Pre-Late Devensian coastal rock platforms around Dunbar

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Wave–cut rock platforms which predate the last glaciation are increasingly recognised around the coast of Scotland (Walton 1959; Dawson 1980; Sissons 1981; Gray 1985; Browne and McMillan 1984). This paper reports new evidence from the Dunbar area where coastal rock platforms between 0 and 25 m OD are locally overlain by till and so must also predate the Late Devensian glaciation. Coastal rock platforms in the Dunbar area (Fig. 1a and 1b) comprise at least four groups: 1: High Raised Rock Platforms. This group includes platforms which lie at elevations of between 16 and 25 m OD. Typically, these are covered by till and can be traced at intervals from North Berwick to Berwick-on-Tweed. Good examples of High Raised Rock Platforms occur near Tantallon Castle [Nat. Grid Ref. NT 59 85], east of North Berwick, at Cove [NT 78 71], and at Dunbar [NT 66 79], where a crag-and-tail rises from the platform (Sissons 1967) (Fig. 2). 2: Raised Rock Platform. The front edge of this platform lies between 2 and 4 m OD and is found at intervals along much of the coastline between Aberlady and Torness. The Raised Rock Platform reaches widths of at least 250 m and is separated by a small rock cliff or ramp from the Intertidal Rock Platform. The Raised Rock Platform is overlain by littoral deposits of the Main Postglacial Raised Shoreline formed at c. 6,500 BP (Smith 1972; Sissons 1976). 3: Inter-Tidal Rock Platform. A well-developed rock platform exists around present sea . . .