The Sandwick Fish Bed at Cruaday Quarry - exploring a lesser known site of interest in Quoyloo

 



On a sunny afternoon, my friend Kathleen and I decided to take a walk up to Cruaday quarry. Now disused, the quarry once provided flagstones for many Orcadian houses. The site is one of special scientific interest because of the fish fossils found there. The grey, calcareous siltstone was once the bed of a lake, 390 million years ago, when Orkney was located south of the equator. At times, central parts of the lake became starved of oxygen, and fish died in large numbers, being preserved as fossils in the rock. An information board at the site gives details.

              
siltstone                                                                                information board

On a clear day, the views from the hill are wonderful. You can see the hills of Hoy, the Loch of Harray, Dounby, Skaill Bay and north towards the loch of Boardhouse. There are also plenty of wild flowers in the area.

It is a short, pleasant walk from the village, and certainly worth a look, especially for those wishing to see some of the lesser visited sites in Orkney.


                                                        my friend Kathleen at the quarry.





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