Books by Alan McKirdy

The archipelagos of Orkney and Shetland are the products of some of the most dramatic events which have occurred in the Earth's history.The Shetlands are the eroded roots of a vast mountain range that once soared to Himalayan heights and extended from Scandinavia to the Appalachians. Around 65 million years ago, this mighty chain was split asunder by the shifting of the Earth's tectonic plates, and the North Atlantic Ocean was formed. In earlier times, the area was occupied by a huge freshwater lake - Lake Orcadie - which existed for almost 10 million years and was home to a wide range of primitive species of fish. Later, during the last Ice Age, the area was completely submerged beneath ice sheets which left an indelible mark on the landscapes of both island groups.This book tells the incredible geological story of the most northerly outposts of the British Isles.

This history of the geology of Central Scotland begins 400 million years ago and brings the reader on a remarkable journey, to Pictish times and the Industrial Revolution. Part of the Landscapes in Stone series.

The Small Isles comprise the Inner Hebridean islands of Rum, Eigg, Canna and Muck. The landscapes of these beautiful, remote islands tell of erupting volcanoes, an ancient ecosystem that included dinosaurs and an ancient desert landscape. The geological history stretches back 3 billion years to the earliest events recorded on Earth.

The south of Scotland has a long and turbulent geological past. Perhaps most notably, it marks the place where, 432 million years ago, an ocean, once as wide as the north Atlantic, was compressed by a convergence of ancient lands and then ceased to be.

James Hutton (1726-97), remembered as the founder of modern geology, was ahead of his time in his deductions about the way our planet functions. He was also an innovative farmer, a successful entrepreneur and a man with endless intellectual curiosity. This third edition has been thoroughly revised and expanded.

Longlisted for the Highland Book Prize 2019The rocks of northern Scotland tell of turbulent events involving continental collisions that unleashed cataclysmic forces, creating a chain of mountains, the remnants of which we see today on both sides of the Atlantic. Geologists from Victorian times onwards have studied the area, and some of the most important geological phenomena have been established and described from the rocks that built these stunning landscapes.In this book, Alan McKirdy makes sense of the many and varied episodes that shaped the familiar landscape we see today. He highlights a number of fascinating geological features, including the Old Red Sandstones of Cromarty and the Black Isle, which carry the secrets of life during 'the Age of Fishes', and the thin sliver of fossil-bearing strata which hugs the coast from Golspie to beyond Helmsdale that dates back to Jurassic times and which records the time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

The latest in the acclaimed series on Scotland's geology and landscapes which explains how Scotland's scenery was made, why it looks the way it does today and how it has changed over millions of years.

The latest in a new series of books which explain how Scotland's scenery was made, why it looks the way it does today and how it has changed over millions of years

One of 4 books to launch a brand-new series on Scotland's geology and landscapes which explain how Scotland's scenery was made, why it looks the way it does today and how it has changed over millions of years.

One of 4 books to launch a brand-new series on Scotland's geology and landscapes which explain how Scotland's scenery was made, why it looks the way it does today and how it has changed over millions of years

One of 4 books to launch a brand-new series on Scotland's geology and landscapes which explain how Scotland's scenery was made, why it looks the way it does today and how it has changed over millions of years

A Scottie activity book for young readers for home and classroom use. The book looks at the plants and wildlife of the Scottish countryside, and discusses such topics as climate change and renewable energy.

A concise, illustrated introduction to the geology of Scotland.