Camas Mor, Muck
Also within
Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Tertiary Igneous | Favourable | — | 2009-05-15 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Jurassic, Paleogene · Rock Type: Basalt, Gabbro, Limestone
Landscape processes: Coastal, Volcanic / Igneous
Description
CAMAS MOR, MUCK Camas Mor, Muck Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is located in a south facing bay on the southern coast of the island of Muck in the Small Isles. The site contains exposures of the lavas, dykes and Jurassic sediments which provide examples of all the important rock-types on Muck. There is also an assemblage of rare minerals. At Camas Mor, Jurassic limestones are overlain by lava flows which erupted during the Palaeogene period. In places the individual layers of lava are separated by sediments which were formed through erosion of the previously formed lavas. In addition there are layers of tuff, deposits of volcanic ash formed during eruptions from the fissures through which the lavas poured. In the cliffs on the eastern side of Camas Mor a large dyke intrusion of gabbro, the coarse grained equivalent of basalt, cuts Jurassic limestone. The two rock-types have reacted chemically to produce a ‘skarn’ which comprises a range of rare minerals.