Nigg Bay cliff - Places of Geologic Significance on Waymarking.com

Scotland is well known as one of the few areas of the world that possesses a range of rocks stretching back to the beginning of the Earth.

For north east Scotland the oldest rocks date back to around 500 million years ago. The cliffs of Nigg Bay are an excellent place to learn how the landscape around Aberdeen evolved during the last Ice Age.

The sheltered position of Nigg Bay, between two headlands, and a gently sloping seabed offshore has resulted in a well developed sand and cobble beach. From the car park look right towards the cliffs at the back of the storm beach. The cliffs show sediments that choke an abandoned channel of the River Dee. The former river course is cut down to -40m below present sea level and formerly was occupied by glacial rivers that drained from an inland ice sheet. The land level was lower than today because the weight of ice pushed it down but since the ice melted the land gradually risen, like a cushion regaining its shape after being sat on. The infill of sediment, a part of which is shown in the cliff sections, dates to the last Ice Age, long before there were humans in Scotland and at a time when glaciers were forming in the Grampian Mountains. The lowest sediments consist of gravel and boulders - some of which appear to have originated in Scandinavia and to have been transported here by glacier ice. The overlying glacial sediments appear to have been derived from farther south down the coast, the reddish colour of the sediment due to the former passage of ice across the Old Red Sandstone rocks of Angus.

Six distinctive beds have been recognized in the exposure (beginning from the top):
* Head - very top of the geological succession, difficult to classify more accurately, mostly it means blown sand or/and loess (0.5–1.0 m);
* Gravels (1–3 m);
* Red sands with laminated silts and clays (1–2 m);
* Red clays (till 2–3 m);
* Grey clays (till 10 m);
* Sands and gravels (3–6 m).

Based on articles listed below and there you can find wider and much more advanced description:
1. NIGG BAY, J.E. Gordon
2. NIGG BAY TO COVE. COASTAL FOOTPATH. GEOLOGY AND GEOMORPHOLOGY, Prof A. Dawson, University of Aberdeen
3. The Aberdeen Coastal Path Guide. Aberdeen City Council

Waymark is confirmed to be publicly accessible: yes Parking Coordinates: N 57° 08.120 W 002° 03.477 Access fee (In local currency): .00 Requires a high clearance vehicle to visit.: no Requires 4x4 vehicle to visit.: no Public Transport available: yes Website reference: Not listed

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