Geodiversity of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park : statement of significance and identification of opportunities

The natural beauty and striking landscapes of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park are a direct product of its geological history. A major landscape feature within the Park is the Highland Border, which separates the rugged peaks and deep glens of the Highlands from the lower, rolling hills and broad straths of the Lowlands. This landscape feature follows a geological structure known as the Highland Boundary fault zone, which separates ancient Precambrian metamorphic rocks in the Highlands from younger, softer, sedimentary rocks to the south. These geological differences have been exploited over time by the erosive power of wind, water and ice to produce the present-day landscape of the National Park. This report has been prepared for the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park authority, to provide an overview of the park’s geodiversity. Section 2 of the report describes the geological history of the National Park. Sections 3 and 4 pick out key localities of interest for their geology and geomorphology, and opportunities for management and interpretation of the park’s geological heritage are discussed in sections 5 and 6.