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Geology
of the Mull
The South Rhins of Scotland has two contrasting coastlines,
consisting predominantly of high, rocky cliffs along its west
coast, and low-lying raised beach terraces along its east
coast.
The hard rock underlying the area is a type of 'muddy' sandstone
known as greywacke and is generally either grey or red in
colour. This rock belongs to two ancient geological periods
known as the Ordovician and Silurian, which occurred about
400-500 million years ago, when it was deposited horizontally
in beds a few feet thick, deep on the ocean floor.
 There
followed a period of deformation, which produced major folds
and faults, altering the beds to almost vertical layering.
This is clearly seen at East and West Tarbet where more easily
eroded rocks have formed a neck, marking the northern end
of the Mull. Over millions of years ice, rain, sea and wind
have sculpted these rocks to form the land as we see it today.
The headland's
skull-cap of heather is a last precious fragment of a greater
heath made green by the cnturies-long spread of agriculture.
RSPB
Nature Reserve
Lighthouse
Visitor
Centre
Gallie
Craig Coffee House
Nature
of the Mull of Galloway
Geology
of the Mull of Galloway
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