Quoich Spillway
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Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Moine | Favourable | — | 2009-10-07 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Feature: Rock Outcrop · Rock Type: Gneiss, Granite
Landscape processes: Volcanic / Igneous
Description
Quoich Spillway Quoich Spillway Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) lies immediately below the dam at the eastern end of Loch Quoich in the Western Highlands. The site reveals excellent exposures of the Quoich Granite Gneiss and its contacts with the Moine meta-sedimentary rocks into which it is intruded. It is internationally important because it helps to pinpoint the timing of the deposition of the Moine Supergroup and its early deformation. The SSSI contains a rock exposure approximately 175 metres long, which lies across the Quoich Granite Gneiss, the adjacent Moine meta-sedimentary rocks, the Lower Garry Psammite and Garry Banded formations, all of which straddle the boundary between two major divisions of the Moine: the Glenfinnan Group and the Loch Eil Group. This exposure enables an evaluation of the geological setting of the West Highland Granite Gneiss Suite, of which the Quoich Granite Gneiss is a part, and its role in the early tectonothermal evolution of the Moine Supergroup.