Siccar Point

About Siccar Point

In 1961, Siccar Point attained Site of Special Scientific Interest Status, based the location's influence on James Hutton's 1788 Unconformity theory. At Siccar Point, nearly vertical sedimentary rocks of Silurian age - greywacke sandstones and mudstones - are covered uncomfortably by a younger sequence of red sandstone and breccia. This showed that Planet Earth is much older than was taught in the Bible. A casting of the Siccar Point unconformity is housed in the American Museum of Natural History.

Discover the story behind Hutton's Unconformity with the Deep Time Trail, a 1.3-km coastal route near Cockburnspath in the Scottish Borders. Built to mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of James Hutton, the father of modern geology, the trail leads visitors along a mostly level, step-free path to a stone viewpoint overlooking Siccar Point, where Hutton and his friends first found evidence for his radical Theory of the Earth in 1788.

Along the way, interpretation panels and hand-carved quotation stones by Michelle de Bruin explain Hutton's background and his revolutionary ideas. Visitors can also scan for online audio, music, and poetry to learn more about the site. The route ends at a viewing structure featuring seating and a 3D model of the unconformity, offering a clear look at one of the world's most important geological locations.

Commissioned by the Edinburgh Geological Society and supported by public donations and community grants, the trail provides an accessible way to explore Scotland's geological history.

Trail start:
Nearest Postcode TD13 5AA
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From the A1 take the A1107 towards Coldingham.
After crossing the narrow Pease Dean Bridge, take first left turn, signposted Pease Bay. Then ignore the next left turn to Pease Bay and carry straight on, sign posted RK Drysdales. After crossing a cattle grid, look out for the start of the Deep Time Trail on the left. There is parking alongside the road and a car park 350 metres further along the road. From the start point, the Deep Time Trail is a 1.3 km (1 mile) walk along a fairly level, grassy trail to the viewpoint above Siccar Point.