Hutton's Rock, Salisbury Crags, Edinburgh

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

It was formed from ascending magma forced under pressure (intruded) between layers of sedimentary rock below the Arthur’s Seat volcano. It cooled to form a near horizontal sheet-like body, or sill, of igneous rock called dolerite.

This tiny section of the Crags was reputedly preserved from quarrying at the request of James Hutton, an 18th Century Scottish geologist. Follow the annotations to learn more about the history of this incredible 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.