Lugar Sill
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Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Carboniferous - Permian Igneous | Favourable | — | 2005-03-31 |
Geology & landscape
Landscape processes: Volcanic / Igneous
Description
Lugar Sill Lugar Sill, lying 2 km north-east of Cumnock, provides an important contribution to the study of magmatic evolution, derived from sills formed from basaltic magma that had been enriched in alkalis, approximately 288 million years ago. Perhaps the most closely studied, most frequently cited and the most widely known example is that exposed at Lugar. The intrusion consists of several varieties of rock and their disposition and detailed characteristics have long been interpreted as originating through the intrusion of parental magma which further evolved after it had been emplaced. The site is the type-locality for lugarite, a rare type of igneous rock. The interpretations based on the exposures at Lugar have much influenced the study of petrology and are thus of international significance.