Talnotry Mine
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Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Mineralogy of Scotland | Favourable | — | 2009-03-26 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Feature: Igneous Intrusion · Rock Type: Shale
Landscape processes: Volcanic / Igneous
Description
Talnotry Mine Talnotry Mine is a geological site lying 9km northeast of Newton Stewart. It encompasses the remains of a former nickel mine and its spoil dumps, which contain some of the most interesting ore samples of their type in Wigtownshire. Talnotry nickel mine consists of a series of workings and dumps at the southern tip of a diorite intrusion into greywacke and black shale. The workings and adits (tunnels) are still clearly visible within an area of commercial forestry. The dumps contain good specimens of high grade ore which, in addition to pyrrhotite and niccolite, contain many interesting mineral phases best viewed with a microscope. The site offers a rare opportunity for the study of the geological relationship between sulphide mineralisation and igneous intrusion which apparently yields nickel ore of special mineralogical interest.