Port Logan
Also within
Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Quaternary of Scotland | Favourable | — | 2015-10-26 |
Geology & landscape
Landscape processes: Glacial
Description
Port Logan Port Logan Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) lies 300m southwest of the village of Port Logan on the west side of the Rhins. The site provides one of the best current exposures in southwest Scotland of glacial tills deposited by the ice sheets which formerly covered the area. These tills were first described over one hundred years ago and were noted for their fossil shell content. In more modern studies of the glacial stratigraphy of Scotland, however, they have largely been ignored. The section at Port Logan shows dark brown, gritty, shelly till resting on bedrock, with red, stony till devoid of shells above. These sediments reveal successive movements of ice across the area from the Highlands and Southern Uplands during the last Ice Age (around 18,000 years ago). Port Logan, therefore, forms part of a Scotland-wide network of sites which clearly illustrate major regional variations in the flow patterns of the last ice sheet. It is likely to be a key section in any future studies of the glaciation of the area.