Unravelling the 800-million-year geological history of the Nevis and Mamore ranges, Fort William, Scotland

Abstract

The Nevis and Mamore ranges near Fort William comprise some of the most popular and spectacular of all Scotland's mountains including the highest peak, Ben Nevis. The beauty of this mountainous region is the product of a long and complex geological evolution, spanning 800 million years of Earth's history. This complex geological evolution featured the formation and break up of multiple supercontinents, continental collisions and uplift of Himalayan scale mountain ranges, formation of active volcanoes, continental drift from high southern latitudes to mid northern latitudes and finally sculpting of the mountain peaks and glens by Arctic ice sheets and glaciers during the most recent Ice Age. Here I describe this fascinating geological evolution and how it has shaped this spectacular landscape.