Norwick
Also within
Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Caledonian Structures of Shetland | Favourable | — | 2017-04-21 |
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Granite
Landscape processes: Volcanic / Igneous
Description
Norwick Around the head of Nor Wick, a bay in the north east of Unst, metasedimentary rocks comparable to the Dalradian supergroup of the Scottish mainland are separated by a major thrust from ultrabasic igneous rocks of the Shetland ophiolite to the south and the spectacular Skaw granite to the north. This site provides critical evidence of the complex structural relationships between ophiolitic and “basement” nappes that now occupy the eastern portions of the Shetland Isles. Precisely how these very different geological units originally related to one another and how they become juxtaposed into their present day configuration during Caledonian orogenesis (mountain-building era) remains unclear.