That man is little to be envied ...

Abstract

What is special about Scottish Geology? I think the answers are quite simple. The country has an astonishingly varied geological make-up in a small area, and partly for that reason is astonishingly beautiful. And marvellous work has been done on it by remarkable people, many of whom were not only great scientists but great writers too. Let me try to justify this outpouring of adjectives. Sit on top of the Sgurr of Eigg, or stand, if you can, against the gale. You are on top of the youngest volcanic rock in the country. You can see the Lewisian gneisses of the Outer Isles, the Caledonian mountain chain of the Highlands, the Jurassic of the Hebrides basin just below, the basaltic plateaus of Skye and of Eigg itself, the Tertiary plutons of Skye, Rum and Ardnamurchan, and everywhere the evidence of recent glaciation and uplift. The only comparable area that I know anything about is Switzerland, which is about the same size as the Highlands but much more densely populated. It is comparably beautiful and complex, and equally bound up with the history of our science. But it is Scotland that we are celebrating. Scottish geology is diverse in its appeal and it should encourage a diversity of response. It should foster curiosity, and an eclectic approach to what we find interesting. I think we underestimate the influence of the beauty of scenery in our science, almost as though we are ashamed of it. I don't know why. I do know . . .