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More North Scotland Guides


At Helmsdale The Jurassic Kimmeridgian boulder beds yield superb giant corals, whilst occasional reptile remains turn up too. The foreshore can be very rocky and is not recommended for children.


Thurso is famous for its rich fish beds, fish remains and scales can be found everywhere along the foreshore, the rocks are full. Fish teeth and complete fish are also found. The foreshore can be slippery and the rocks are extremely hard.


Achanarras, once the quarry that was constantly yielding complete fish has been disused for many years, now over collected but still highly rich in remains. Complete fish can still be found but are now rare. Permission is required to enter.


Within the Jurassic rocks on the foreshore, specially by the Brora river, ammonites and shells can be found. You will need to split the rocks, but many of them contain fossils. Suitable for families and children.


The tall Jurassic cliffs along the Brora River yield ammonites and belemnites. You will need wellington boots as the river runs next to the cliff faces. Ammonites can be seen exposed on the ledges and platforms beside the river.


Baile an Or is ideal for families and children, set in beautiful scenery, you can pan for gold. There is actually quite a lot of gold though they are tiny grains. However some people have collected enough gold to make a wedding ring and other jewelry.


Just below the famous Castle of Dunrobbin, Golspie, not many would imagine ammonites and complete fish to be found on the foreshore. This location is suitable for all the family but will need the right conditions to find anything.


What looks like an ordinary rocky beach, covered in seaweed is actually rich in ammonites and shells, though you need to work to find them. At Portgower the rocks exposed are from the Jurassic and if split can yield flat ammonites and shells.


More famously known for the furthest route in the UK mainland. (Lands End to John o'Groats'), this location is actually highly rich in fish remains (especially large fish scales).


A Jurassic Fault along the Balintore foreshore is well exposed, Oysters are quite common here, but belemnites can also be found. During the right conditions, ammonites can also be found. The cliffs here are Devonian.


This large working quarry works the famous 'Caithness Flagstone'. You will need permission to enter Spittal Quarry. Fish can be found within the flagstone slabs on the spoil heaps, there is a vast amount of material to look through.


Kimmeridge clay is exposed on the foreshore at Lothbeg, ammonites can be found along with occasional shells. Plants can also be found from the soft yellow beds near Lothbeg point. Reptile remains have also been found in the past.


The rocky shoreline of Crakaig contains occasional Jurassic rocks which sometimes yields ammonites. Most of the rocks here are Triassic in which there is also a possibility of finding fish.


At Tarbat Ness, the Devonian Rocks can contain small fish remains. Scales can be seen on ledges at the headland within a pebble bed. Larger fish fragments can also be found but are less common.


Cromarty is home to Hugh Miller's Cottage. He collected several superb fish in nodules from this location, but they are now very rare due to their high value and slow pace of erosion.


Other Fossil and Geology Guides

For a complete listing of all our fossil and geology guides for all other UK regions, please click on the UK Map to the left. We have well over a hundred locations featured, thousands of photos, videos, information and much more.


Other UK Fossils Special Featured Sites

The Famous Red and White cliffs that can be seen when crossing the river Severn contain a highly productive bone bearing bed at the very top from the Rhaetian Penarth series. This bed is full of teeth, reptile, fish and dinosaur remains.

The Glacial Pebble Beds at Benacre yield a range of derived fossils including echinoid's, sponges, shells and belemnites. At the base of the cliff, the Baventian Clay is several metres thick.

Within the Jurassic rocks on the foreshore, specially by the Brora river, ammonites and shells can be found. You will need to split the rocks, but many of them contain fossils. Suitable for families and children.

Part of the World Heritage Jurassic Coast, one of the most famous locations for collecting fossils in the world, fossils such as ammonites, reptiles, fish and belemnites can be collected along the foreshore. Charmouth is ideal for children.

Very little is known about the Covehithe Shell Beds, exposed on rare occasions. It is believed that they are a rear mollusc deposit within the Baventian stage. Other Fossils such as Echinoid's and Corals can be found in the Glacial Pebble Deposits.

The rocky shoreline of Crakaig contains occasional Jurassic rocks which sometimes yields ammonites. Most of the rocks here are Triassic in which there is also a possibility of finding fish.

Daddy Hole once a highly productive quarry now forms part of the Torquay Coastline, rich in Devonian Corals this site is now a special site of scientific interest. Corals can be found both within the quarry and foreshore scree slopes.

If you are interested in microfossils, tiny mammal remains, turtle shell fragments, crocodile skin fragments and fish remains, Durlston Bay is ideal. It is also a good location to take samples for wet sieving. Don't forget your field lens when visiting.

At Easton Wood Cliffs, rich Shell Beds yield a wide range of shells, fish, bird and small mammal remains. There are six shell beds in total, during extreme scours which occur on average once every 10 years, the highly rich bone bearing bed yields many mammal remains.

Continuing from Seatown, the Dorset Junction Bed, yields plenty of ammonites but will require some hard work with a sledge hammer. Many fossils are also poorly preserved, but decent specimens do turn up. Not suitable for children.

The best location for collecting fossils from the Gault, highly rich in fossils. Famous for its wide variety of ammonites. Many other fossils can be found such as Shells, Crabs, Crinoids, Belemnites, Echinoid's & more. Folkestone also has chalk cliffs for variety.

Just below the famous Castle of Dunrobbin, Golspie, not many would imagine ammonites and complete fish to be found on the foreshore. This location is suitable for all the family but will need the right conditions to find anything.

Hastings, one of the only places outside the Isle of Wight, where Dinosaur bones can be found. This popular and important site has yielded some important finds over the years. Fish, shark, plant, reptile remains and shells can also be collected. Keep a look out for Dinosaur Footprints.

At Helmsdale The Jurassic Kimmeridgian boulder beds yield superb giant corals, whilst occasional reptile remains turn up too. The foreshore can be very rocky and is not recommended for children.

Hopes Nose is one of the most famous locations for Devonian Corals, Trilobites and Bivalves from in the UK. The Natural History Museum in London has a large number of specimens on display from this location.

Kimmeridge clay is exposed on the foreshore at Lothbeg, ammonites can be found along with occasional shells. Plants can also be found from the soft yellow beds near Lothbeg point. Reptile remains have also been found in the past.

Probably the most commercialised fossil town in the world. Plenty of fossil shops, museums and places offering guided walks. Ideal for children. Ammonites can be picked up from on the foreshore at Lyme Regis along with many other fossils.

This large working quarry works the famous 'Caithness Flagstone'. You will need permission to enter Spittal Quarry. Fish can be found within the flagstone slabs on the spoil heaps, there is a vast amount of material to look through.

Walton-on-the-Naze is Famous for yielding fossil bird remains, large sharks teeth and plant remains from the London Clay, whilst boasting the best coastal location for collecting Red Crag fossils in the UK. A unpredictable location of variety.

Where else do you get to collect fossils from the Upper, Middle and Lower Chalk and Greensand within just a few metres? This location is superb for its geology but also for its cretaceous ammonites and other fossils.

 


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UK Fossils Management - Alister Cruickshanks & Roy Bullard
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