Moving mountains for you
Switch currency

Current Live Auctions

Current Live Fixed Price Sales

Netherglen Revisited

Content image: Netherglen Revisited

10 years ago in 2007 we were visited by Somerset based collector Colin Palk. Colin's specific interests were minerals from Scotland, aided and abetted by his regional work in Scotland for the BBC.

Subsequently Colin moved his collection on, it arriving with Nick Carruth via an Auction in Weston Super Mare in early 2011.

Part of Colin's collection were some very deep sky blue fluorite pieces from Netherglen Quarry, near Elgin. The fluorite was in an incredible colour better set off with small bright pyrite crystals.

We obtained some of specimens for resale from Nick Carruth, but have always sought out others if they were available - which is not that often.

Until this week the e-Rocks database has recorded 7 specimens in the last 11 years, now very recently we acquired our 8th specimen in a collection acquisition and I wanted to research more about Netherglen and its fluorite; so I contacted Colin.

As a result he kindly sent me a letter about his experiences and in particular Netherglen. With his permission I have transcribed this for e-Rocks.
 

Colin Palk

"In the mid 1970s I worked for the BBC at their transmitting station near Fortrose North East of Inverness.

On holiday in Skye (1974) I got hooked on minerals after visiting the Quirang and Talisker Bay.

I was able to get hold of a copy of Heddle (Mineralogy of Scotland) on loan from Edinburgh libraryfor 3 months and was able to transcribe the mineral locations under county headings and visited many of his sites in Invernesshire and Ross-shire.

In 1997 I often visited Elgin and Heddle says; Findrassie Quarry, Elgin, fluorite in red and yellow cubes, however this quarry was closed and overgrown.

I knew that there were two active quarries off the A491 (road) south of Elgin, at Gedloch 4 miles and Netherglen 5 miles.

At Gedloch I found clear cubic crystals to about 3mm scattered over pyritic rock, groups of tabular opaque white baryteto 4mm and cockscomb marcasite to 4mm but this proved to be unstable.

At Netherglen there were large boulders of pyrite crystallised in cavities but no extractable fluorite found.

These quarries were not continually in operation.

About 2 months later I returned, no change at Gedloch but a new "cut" at Netherglen revealing blue fluorite as per your sample (pictured) and also in cavities of crystallised pyrite which tended to a turquoise colour.

Samples were exchanged with John Ingham, Ambleside who worked at the Grove House Mineral Gallery at Keswick.

Samples were also sent to the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinbrugh.

I didn't return again as my attention had switched to the actinolite from Auchtertyre which I might have been the first to discover."

Many thanks to Colin for taking the time to send this to us.

Below is a gallery of selected photos - you can see all the specimens via the locality link below.

Item References: 
Mineral references: 
Locality references: 
Provenance/Attribution references: 
Content tags: 
Album: 
Album: Netherglen Revisited
Album: Netherglen Revisited
Album: Netherglen Revisited
Album: Netherglen Revisited
Album: Netherglen Revisited
Album: Netherglen Revisited
Album: Netherglen Revisited
Album: Netherglen Revisited