Kilmarie fossils and fossil collecting

The hamlet of Kilmarie is situated between Elgol and Torrin on the B8083 road.
If you are coming from Torrin, turn left along a small lane when you get to Kilmarie and carry on until you can see the sea.
Follow this road until you come to a sign saying you can go no further. Park next to the house.
From here the beach is easily accessed by some steps.
Once on the beach, walk south.

GRID REF: 57.18270°N, 6.05603°W

Belemnites, Brachiopods, Corals

Various fossils such as belemnites and bivalves can be found along the beautiful and unspoilt coastline to the south east of Kilmarie. Views seen from the beach are magnificent.

Medium

Once you have your ‘eye in’ fossil finds should be fairly frequent. It is easy to be confused by the many igneous rocks present on the beach at this location however which can look very much like fossiliferous rocks.

Suitable for Children

This location is suitable for children. There is plenty of exploring to do and the water here is crystal clear and excellent for paddling in. The hazards along this stretch of coast are minimal.

Fair Access

Although this location is remote, the beach is easily accessed and fairly obstacle free. At high tide some areas may become inaccessible.

Cliffs, beach pebbles, rocks and platform

Fossils are most commonly found within the pebbles and cobbles on the beach. Also, look in the cliffs and rock outcrops for belemnite sections.

No Restrictions

There are no restrictions at this location.

Kilmarie beach is very remote. If visiting this stretch of coastline do so in a group or at least a pair. Do not attempt it alone. Mobile phone signals may be lost here so it is especially important that you inform someone of where you are going and what time you expect to return.

Last updated:
last visited:

Written by:

01/01/10
2009

Joe Shimmin

Other Locations similar to Kilmarie

There are a range of Jurassic Coastal sites in Scotland either on Skye or the North East Mainland especially near Brora which have been caused by the Helmsdale Fault. Other locations near to Helmsdale that are featured on UK Fossils are, Crakaig, Golspie, Portgower, Kintradwell, Lothbeg, Brora River, Balintore,Eathie and Brora Foreshore. Other locations on the isle of Skye include the popular Glasnakille Bearreraig Bay, Faoilean and Elgol

Geological Tools

Big hammer, the rocks here are large and very hard. Some smaller rocks can be found but at least a lump hammer is required, you can collect fossils from the beach pebbles which does not require any tools, but these will not be as good as the ones in boulders.


Fossil belemnites are fairly abundant and can be found mainly in section in the beach pebbles and within the rocky outcrops and ledges. Also present are blocks which contain bivalves and brachiopods as well as pebbles containing various other fossils. Some of the volcanic rocks to be found on this beach draw the eye as they can look very similar to other, fossiliferous rocks. Fossils can be found all along the beach, with no particular area proving to be more productive than others. The majority of fossils will be found in the pebbles and the cobbles of the beach although in places some may be observed in the in situ rock outcrops. The fossil hunting area consists of the stretch of coastline between where cars are parked and a headland pierced by a large hole. After this point the beach becomes harder to navigate and is more susceptible to the tides.

	Jurassic, 160mya
The Jurassic formation at Kilmarie, is of the Elgol Sandstone Formation, which is Bathonian age. There are some nice wave cut platforms to examine as well as plenty of beach boulders...[more] Jurassic wave cut platform and boulders

Location Video

Split cobble with belemnites ...[more]

Stone Tumblers

Microscopes

Test Sieves for Microfossils

If you are interested in fossil collecting, then you may also be interested in a stone tumbler (Lapidary). You can polish stones and rocks from the beach which will look fantastic polished using a stone tumbler.

You can polish rough rock and beach glass whilst collecting fossils, on those days where you come back empty handed. These are all high quality machines to give a professional finish to your samples. They can even be used for amber and fossils.

At most locations, you can find microfossils. You only need a small sample of the sand. You then need to wash it in water and sieve using a test sieve. Once the sand is processed, you can then view the contents using a microscope.

We have a wide range of microscopes for sale, you will need a Stereomicroscope for viewing microfossils. The best one we sell is the IMXZ, but a basic microscope will be fine. Once you have found microfossils, you will need to store these microfossils.

Test Sieves are used when searching for microfossils. Microfossils can be found in many locations, and all you need is a small amount of sample such as clays, sands and shales, or if you have acid, limestone, oolite or chalk.

Our UKGE Store sells Endecotts Test Sieves, which are the highest in accuracy and extremely durable and long lasting. These Test Sieves are fantastic for microfossils. Endecotts Test Sieves come in a variety of sizes, frame material and types, they are certificated to EU Standards.

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