Masonshaugh
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Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Permian - Triassic (red beds) | Favourable | — | 2010-08-19 |
| F2 | Permian - Triassic Reptilia | Favourable | — | 2017-05-23 |
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
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Permian, Triassic · Rock Type: Sandstone
Landscape processes: Coastal, Fluvial
Description
Masonshaugh Masonshaugh is located about 11km west of Lossiemouth, by Burghead and Cummingston. Disused ‘New Red Sandstone’ quarries and the coastal section between provide continuous exposures in the Burghead Sandstone Formation. This is a set of predominantly fluvial-deposits, which although unfossiliferous contain reptilian footprints, and appear to lie conformably on the Hopeman Sandstone Formation below. A Triassic age for them is therefore indicated. A unique feature of the sandstone is the abundance of fluorite and barite within the sediment binding together the sand grains. Masonshaugh Quarry has yielded an excellent range of fossil footprints (small, medium, and large), probably made by mammal-like reptiles. The large ones appear to be unique in the world, whilst the smaller ones compare with widespread finds from the Upper Permian in England and Germany. The tracks are the only fossils in the extensive Hopeman Sandstone Formation, and are thus the only hope for dating it at present. This is one of the best Permian footprint localities in Britain.