Submitted by Robert Peckyno on Thu, 05/13/2010 - 13:24

 

Yes, there are volcanoes in Scotland!  But, all of the volcanoes in the Edinburgh area are at least 350 million years old so they are considered extinct, that is, they will not erupt again.  The rocks that make up these volcanoes are called basalts.  These basalts are much tougher than the other rocks around them so after millions of years of weathering and erosion, the basalts make steep, cliffy pinnacles or high points, perfect places to build castles and fortresses that protected Scotland’s people from enemies in the past. 

These volcanoes will not reawaken.  There are some younger volcanoes in Scotland that are only 35 million years old.  These are also extinct and will not ever erupt again.

For a picture of the Edinburgh Castle, which sits on top of the Castle Rock volcano, follow this link:

http://www.edinburgharchitecture.co.uk/edinburgh_castle_photos.htm

You can see the dark gray to black volcanic (basalt) rocks beneath the castle.

Category: 
Europe