Lithostratigraphy and structure along the Boundary Slide Corridor : background, problems and strategy

This report provides an assessment of future scientific studies and proposals for field mapping in and area defined here as the Boundary Slide Corridor (Figure 1), and regarded as a key strategic element within the Moine and Dalradian Basins Project area. The report is focussed on the northern part of the Killin-Crianlarich districts (Sheet 46) and the southern parts of the Loch Rannoch (Sheet 54W) and Blackwater (Sheet 54E) districts, although the corridor extends from the Loch Tay Fault in the east of the Schiehallion district (Sheet 55W), south-westwards to Glen Strae, near Dalmally. It therefore also includes parts of the Schiehallion, Dalmally (Sheet 45E) and Comrie (Sheet 47W) 1:50k geological sheets. The first part of the report is concerned with the depositional history of the Dalradian Supergroup in Neoproterozoic time, and a summary of the main Caledonian structural and metamorphic features. Current understanding of the geology is briefly reviewed and provides the basis for the suggested strategy for future work. Earlier assessments of the Killin district (Sheet 46E, Wain 1999) and a summary of progress in that sheet (Hyslop 2001) are included in that review. In addition the report has the following specific objectives (see Chapters 5-7): • to summarise the stratigraphical and structural problems concerning the Boundary Slide with particular emphasis on the associated stratigraphical omission of significant parts of the Appin and Argyll Subgroups in the Central Highlands; • to discuss possible, testable, hypotheses for the existence and development of the Boundary Slide and its associated stratigraphical omissions; • to suggest key areas in the field where such problems may be addressed and hypotheses tested as part of the Moine Dalradian Basins Project. The report then considers current understanding of the economic geology of the region in light of the revised strategy. Additional background information relating the economic geology is provided in Appendices 1-3.