Volcanic Rocks of the North-east of Fife

Abstract

Those who are acquainted with the more salient features of the geology of the great central valley of Scotland are aware that the broad band of Old Red Sandstone which extends from the base of the Grampians about twenty-five miles to the south-east is intersected by belts of volcanic rocks in lines, running from north-east to south-west, nearly coinciding with the strike of the beds. Of these volcanic belts by far the most extensive is that which forms the Fig. 1. Sketch Map of the Country round Newport, Fife southern boundary of the Lower Old Red Sandstone in this part of Scotland, and crosses the country almost uninterruptedly from sea to sea. It comprises some important ranges of hills, of which the Ochil range is the most conspicuous. The north-east extremity of this great belt of volcanic rocks reaches the North Sea at the south side of the Firth of Tay, and forms, with certain interruptions, the southern shore of the estuary for some 18 or 20 miles; it here varies from five to ten miles in width, and on its south-eastern edge is in contact with the Upper Old Red and Carboniferous rocks. It seems probable that the line of contact is a line of fault. As may be supposed, the long llne of shore in the Firth of Tay furnishes the most convenient section for studying the rocks which compose this igneous belt. Not only are such sections formed by the recent