Hutton Section, Salisbury Crags, Edinburgh

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Salisbury Crags are a series of cliffs located in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park, nearby to Edinburgh Castle.

James Hutton, a Scottish geologist used the geology here as evidence for the evolution of the theories concerning the origin of igneous rocks in the 18th Century. The famous ‘Hutton Section’ shows the interaction between sedimentary and igneous rock.

Here Hutton was able to demonstrate that the dolerite comprising Salisbury Crags was once molten. The molten magma was forced, or intruded between sedimentary rock layers to form a sill intrusion.

Follow the annotations to learn more about the history of this incredible Edinburgh landmark.

To explore more of Hutton’s area of the Salisbury Crags, see this other model.

To learn more about visiting Holyrood Park, go to our website.