Black Park, Edderton
Also within
Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Silurian - Devonian Chordata | Favourable | — | 2009-03-10 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Devonian · Rock Type: Sandstone
Description
BLACK PARK, EDDERTON This site lies adjacent to a small burn close to Edderton on the south side of the Dornoch Firth. Middle Old Red Sandstone rocks, formed over 380 million years ago during the Devonian Period, are exposed on the banks of the burn. These contain mudstones and shales derived from sediments which accumulated in a freshwater lake. Fish specimens were incorporated within the sediments and fossilised to form the ‘Achanarras Fish Bed Horizon’. The thick shales of the ‘Fish Bed’ contain hard, flattened, ball-shaped nodules which contain the majority but not all of the fossil fish. The fossil remains are extremely well preserved although the larger fish species tend to be incomplete and only represented by fragments. The fossil fish assemblage comprises typical species from the Achanarras Fish Bed Horizon. Blackpark is the only location other than Achanarras where Rhamphodopsis threipland (an armoured bottom dwelling fish has been found).