Drawing: Siccar Point, Borders

This famous drawing is of another unconformity described by Hutton, at Siccar Point in the Borders of Scotland. Like the one on Arran, the interpretation of such unconformities as representing major gaps in the geological record - with one rock being lithified and then tilted before the deposition of the second - was of major significance in the development of the science of Geology. Follow this link to see a photograph of the Siccar Point unconformity - Hutton's unconformity on Arran is illustrated here.

The caption reads "Siccar Point Drawn by Sir James Hall." The mechanically ruled drawing contrasts strongly with the earlier drawings in the folio, yet effectively shows this famous unconformity (Upper Old Red Sandstone on Silurian) with the breccias above.

This pencil and ink drawing is by John Clerk of Eldin (1728-1812). It is one of a set of over 70 drawings ("The Lost Drawings"). The drawings were made to illustrate the geological research of James Hutton (1726-1797), and lay undiscovered for almost 200 years. They were re-discovered in 1968 by Sir John Clerk, Bart. of Penicuik, near Edinburgh.