Adam's Chair

Coastal Feature, Headland, Point in Kirkcudbrightshire

Scotland

Adam's Chair

Shore with boulders Rounded glacial boulders, many of granite, are a feature of the upper shore at Lochenling.
Shore with boulders Credit: Jonathan Wilkins

Adam's Chair is a prominent coastal feature located in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. Situated on a picturesque headland overlooking the Irish Sea, it is a popular attraction for both locals and tourists alike.

This natural phenomenon gets its name from the unique rock formation that resembles a chair, believed to have been formed through years of erosion by wind and water. Adam's Chair is composed of rugged sandstone, creating a distinctive silhouette against the backdrop of the stunning coastal landscape.

The chair-shaped rock formation sits on top of a steep cliff, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding area. Visitors can marvel at the sweeping vistas of the sea, the rocky shoreline, and the rolling hills in the distance. The site provides a perfect vantage point for birdwatching, with a variety of seabirds such as gulls and cormorants frequently spotted in the area.

The headland where Adam's Chair is located is also home to a diverse range of flora and fauna. Wildflowers dot the landscape, adding a splash of color to the rugged beauty of the coastal terrain. The abundant marine life in the area attracts the occasional seal or dolphin, delighting those fortunate enough to witness these majestic creatures in their natural habitat.

Due to its scenic beauty and geological significance, Adam's Chair is a popular spot for outdoor enthusiasts, hikers, and photographers. It offers a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the raw beauty of Scotland's coastal splendor.

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Adam's Chair Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 54.818661/-3.8350808 or Grid Reference NX8248. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Shore with boulders Rounded glacial boulders, many of granite, are a feature of the upper shore at Lochenling.
Shore with boulders
Rounded glacial boulders, many of granite, are a feature of the upper shore at Lochenling.
Sea kale A fabulous specimen of sea kale, Crambe maritima, growing amid boulders above the tide line. Other seedlings were dotted about nearby on the edge of the raised beach.
Sea kale
A fabulous specimen of sea kale, Crambe maritima, growing amid boulders above the tide line. Other seedlings were dotted about nearby on the edge of the raised beach.
Rock outcrops Rock outcrops here belong to the Rascarrel member of the Fell Sandstone Formation which are of Carboniferous (Arundian to Holkerian) age. Rapid variation in the composition and grain size of these sandstones and conglomerates are due to very active faulting on the edge of the Solway Basin, but prominent among recognisable clasts are lumps of granitic rock from the weathering of the nearby intrusion. The camera location is a stack which is above the tide level and has a thick encrustation of lichens, mostly yellow Caloplaca.
Rock outcrops
Rock outcrops here belong to the Rascarrel member of the Fell Sandstone Formation which are of Carboniferous (Arundian to Holkerian) age. Rapid variation in the composition and grain size of these sandstones and conglomerates are due to very active faulting on the edge of the Solway Basin, but prominent among recognisable clasts are lumps of granitic rock from the weathering of the nearby intrusion. The camera location is a stack which is above the tide level and has a thick encrustation of lichens, mostly yellow Caloplaca.
Path to Loch Mackie Rampant bracken has taken hold following the felling of adjacent forestry, but isolated rowans have good colour with abundant berries.
Path to Loch Mackie
Rampant bracken has taken hold following the felling of adjacent forestry, but isolated rowans have good colour with abundant berries.
Rock outcrops Low rock outcrops on the edge of the raised beach comprise dipping beds of sandstone belonging to the Rascarrel Member of the Fell Sandstone Formation. In the background is the steep, seaward face of Airds Heugh.
Rock outcrops
Low rock outcrops on the edge of the raised beach comprise dipping beds of sandstone belonging to the Rascarrel Member of the Fell Sandstone Formation. In the background is the steep, seaward face of Airds Heugh.
Boulder shore The shore here comprises an extraordinary carpet of equal-sized boulders of glacial origin which are the residua of former deposits of till, or boulder clay. It is part of the discontinuous raised beach which is particularly prominent through the west of the southern Scottish coast. See also, for example <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3121405">NX1239 : Bouldery beach</a>.
Boulder shore
The shore here comprises an extraordinary carpet of equal-sized boulders of glacial origin which are the residua of former deposits of till, or boulder clay. It is part of the discontinuous raised beach which is particularly prominent through the west of the southern Scottish coast. See also, for example NX1239 : Bouldery beach.
Balcary Bay Hotel 'The Balcary Bay Country House Hotel which takes its name from the stunningly beautiful bay that overlooks the Solway with the Cumbrian mountains in the distance.  Each day brings a different colour spectrum to this wonderful vista.  Each night brings forth a romantic moon shimmering across the waters.' 
<span class="nowrap"><a title="https://www.balcary-bay-hotel.co.uk/" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="https://www.balcary-bay-hotel.co.uk/">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>
Viewed from the top of Balcary Hill.
Balcary Bay Hotel
'The Balcary Bay Country House Hotel which takes its name from the stunningly beautiful bay that overlooks the Solway with the Cumbrian mountains in the distance. Each day brings a different colour spectrum to this wonderful vista. Each night brings forth a romantic moon shimmering across the waters.' LinkExternal link Viewed from the top of Balcary Hill.
Newly cut grass fields Some grass has been baled.
Airds Farm under Big Airds Hill in the background.
Newly cut grass fields
Some grass has been baled. Airds Farm under Big Airds Hill in the background.
No they are not sheep! The grass in the foreground has been cut and put into bales covered with white plastic. In the background, looking like a grass maze, the grass has been cut and the machine to gather it and blow it into trailers waits for a trailer.
No they are not sheep!
The grass in the foreground has been cut and put into bales covered with white plastic. In the background, looking like a grass maze, the grass has been cut and the machine to gather it and blow it into trailers waits for a trailer.
Rocks on the foreshore of Auchencairn Bay The various post on the beach are the remnants of salmon fishing nets.
How it might have looked. <a title="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2242476" href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2242476">Link</a> and 
<a title="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2242518" href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2242518">Link</a>
Hestan Island in the bay.
Rocks on the foreshore of Auchencairn Bay
The various post on the beach are the remnants of salmon fishing nets. How it might have looked. Link and Link Hestan Island in the bay.
Balcary Tower 'Balcary Tower was built around 1860 by Colonel Johnstone, the Laird of Auchencairn House, it is believed for his French governess and mistress. The Tower was extended in the 1960s and again in the 1970s and mostly recently was entirely professionally refurbished in 2012.'
<span class="nowrap"><a title="https://www.galbraithgroup.com/property/cad200033-balcary-tower-auchencairn-castle-douglas-dumfries-and-galloway-south-west-scotland-dg7-1qz" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="https://www.galbraithgroup.com/property/cad200033-balcary-tower-auchencairn-castle-douglas-dumfries-and-galloway-south-west-scotland-dg7-1qz">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>
<span class="nowrap"><a title="https://canmore.org.uk/site/64862/the-tower?display=collection&GROUPCATEGORY=5" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="https://canmore.org.uk/site/64862/the-tower?display=collection&GROUPCATEGORY=5">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>
Balcary Tower
'Balcary Tower was built around 1860 by Colonel Johnstone, the Laird of Auchencairn House, it is believed for his French governess and mistress. The Tower was extended in the 1960s and again in the 1970s and mostly recently was entirely professionally refurbished in 2012.' LinkExternal link LinkExternal link
View from the carpark Over the white plastic wrapped bales of grass.
View from the carpark
Over the white plastic wrapped bales of grass.
Agricultural traffic hazard This is one of the large tractors with a trailer load of freshly cut grass. They were moving in a convoy of four down to the fields to collect the loads and then back up the narrow road with few passing places.
Agricultural traffic hazard
This is one of the large tractors with a trailer load of freshly cut grass. They were moving in a convoy of four down to the fields to collect the loads and then back up the narrow road with few passing places.
Balcary Bay Hotel With its own beach on Balcary Bay.
<span class="nowrap"><a title="https://www.balcary-bay-hotel.co.uk/" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="https://www.balcary-bay-hotel.co.uk/">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span>
Balcary Bay Hotel
With its own beach on Balcary Bay. LinkExternal link
House Martin Collecting nesting materials from the beach in front of Balcary House Hotel.
House Martin
Collecting nesting materials from the beach in front of Balcary House Hotel.
On the rocks at Balcary Point English stonecrop, Sedum anglicum and yellow lichen Xanthoria parietina make a colourful addition to the rocks at the point.
On the rocks at Balcary Point
English stonecrop, Sedum anglicum and yellow lichen Xanthoria parietina make a colourful addition to the rocks at the point.
Balcary Point looking north east With Hestan Island at the mouth of Auchencairn Bay.
Balcary Point looking north east
With Hestan Island at the mouth of Auchencairn Bay.
The Boat House At Balcary Point.
The Boat House
At Balcary Point.
Show me another place!

Adam's Chair is located at Grid Ref: NX8248 (Lat: 54.818661, Lng: -3.8350808)

Unitary Authority: Dumfries and Galloway

Police Authority: Dumfries and Galloway

What 3 Words

///splash.binders.perplexed. Near Dalbeattie, Dumfries & Galloway

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Nearby Amenities

Located within 500m of 54.818661,-3.8350808
Source: PGS
Lat/Long: 54.815549/-3.8401792
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Source: PGS
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Lat/Long: 54.8163993/-3.8362777
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Source: PGS
Lat/Long: 54.8191975/-3.8334265
Source: PGS
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Lat/Long: 54.8198994/-3.8321465
Source: PGS
Lat/Long: 54.8201602/-3.8308816
Source: PGS
Lat/Long: 54.8203308/-3.8307528
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Lat/Long: 54.8206127/-3.8305082
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Lat/Long: 54.8207453/-3.8301155
Source: PGS
Lat/Long: 54.8210985/-3.8294638
Source: PGS
Lat/Long: 54.8213059/-3.8290979
Barrier: kissing_gate
Lat/Long: 54.8202861/-3.8331554
Barrier: kissing_gate
Lat/Long: 54.8203342/-3.8332339
Little Airds Hill
Natural: peak
Lat/Long: 54.8193361/-3.8370831
Bench
Lat/Long: 54.8181322/-3.8352723
Bench
Lat/Long: 54.8194365/-3.8350389
Lot's Wife
Place: locality
Lat/Long: 54.8202481/-3.8306725
Door of the Heugh
Place: locality
Lat/Long: 54.8185674/-3.8339448
Airds Point
Place: locality
Lat/Long: 54.8168563/-3.8350745
Power: pole
Lat/Long: 54.8210068/-3.8415614
The data included in this document is from www.openstreetmap.org. The data is made available under ODbL.

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