Balmerino - Wormit Shore
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Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Old Red Sandstone Igneous | Favourable | — | 2009-08-13 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Devonian · Rock Type: Andesite, Basalt
Landscape processes: Volcanic / Igneous
Description
BALMERINO – WORMIT SHORE The Balmerino to Wormit shore SSSI, on the south bank of the Firth of Tay between Balmerino and Wormit, provides the most completely exposed section in Fife through the Lower Devonian lavas and associated sedimentary rocks of Fife. These rocks are part of the same group of volcanic rocks that make up the Ochil Hills, and were formed about 410 million years ago, the lavas being erupted from fissures onto low ground or into lakes and rivers. A range of lava compositions is present including basalt, basic pyroxene andesite and andesite. The lavas are often notably feldsparphyric and in places pillow and peperite (thermally shattered magma) structures indicate an aqueous environment of extrusion or shallow intrusion. A fine sequence of volcaniclastic deposits is exposed along Wormit shore and includes tuffs and mixed acid and basic agglomerates. The site is of international importance for the information it gives about the geography of southern Scotland at that time, and nationally important in deciphering the nature and environment of volcanic activity during the Lower Devonian in Fife.