Borron Point

Coastal Feature, Headland, Point in Kirkcudbrightshire

Scotland

Borron Point

Borron Point is a prominent coastal feature located in Kirkcudbrightshire, a historic county in southwest Scotland. Situated on the Solway Firth, this headland juts out into the Irish Sea, offering breathtaking views and a rich natural environment.

The rugged cliffs of Borron Point provide a dramatic backdrop to the surrounding landscape. Towering above the water, they are composed of sandstone and limestone, showcasing the geological diversity of the area. The varying rock formations, including caves and crevices, are home to a diverse range of marine life, making it a popular spot for divers and nature enthusiasts.

The headland is also known for its picturesque sandy beaches and dunes, which provide a tranquil setting for visitors to relax and enjoy the stunning scenery. The shoreline is teeming with wildlife, including seabirds, seals, and even the occasional dolphin sighting.

Borron Point offers numerous walking trails, allowing visitors to explore its natural beauty at their own pace. The paths wind through verdant coastal vegetation, offering spectacular views of the surrounding sea and countryside. For those interested in history, the area is also home to ancient ruins, including the remains of a medieval castle, adding a touch of historical intrigue to the landscape.

Overall, Borron Point is a captivating coastal feature that showcases the raw beauty and biodiversity of Kirkcudbrightshire. Its combination of stunning cliffs, sandy beaches, and rich marine life make it a must-visit destination for nature lovers and those seeking a peaceful retreat in the Scottish countryside.

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Borron Point Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 54.907005/-3.5624124 or Grid Reference NX9958. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Thirl Stane

Anthony Foster

Thirl Stane

Anthony Foster

Shore at Powillimount

Anthony Foster

Powillimount farmhouse

A view along the road to the iconic farmhouse, a scene which somehow speaks of the place.

Jonathan Wilkins

Stubble fields and Dunbar

A view over stubble fields to the isolated cottage on the edge of woodland.

Jonathan Wilkins

Stubble field with bales

Another view of the extraordinary arable fields, towards trees shaped by the wind from the sea.

Jonathan Wilkins

Cattle crossing

I have not seen cows that cross the country on their own segregated walkways before, but here they are quite common. The problem of crossing roads where they may stray is solved by electric wires (marked by the cones) laid on the road, which road traffic must cross when cows are not in occupation. I worried that my bicycle tyres might not be sufficiently insulating, but I was wrong!

Jonathan Wilkins

Bale field

More stubble and bales on this extraordinary prairie, with woodland at Arbigland in the background.

Jonathan Wilkins

Sedimentary strata

My assistants are giving critical attention to a fabulous set of inclined sedimentary rocks of Carboniferous age, belonging to the Border Group of Chadian to Holkerian age. Here we see (from right to left, going downwards) sandstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal and limestone, which is a typical bundle of diverse facies reflecting regular changes in depositional environment brought on by minor sea level changes. The simple explanation for the inclination of the beds is that the camera is viewing one side of a monoclinal structure which is one limb of a fold. In fact the strata on the beach are bent into a series of zig-zags representing a number of folds which plunge eastwards. See also NX9956 : Folded strata for my best attempt at showing this (aerial imagery is much better).

Jonathan Wilkins

Folded strata

Rock strata on the shore display curved traces resulting from erosion of a plunging synclinal structure. The competent beds are covered with seaweed, which gives a good visualisation of the structure across a wide area of the beach platform. In the centre of the image, the change of orientation of the tilted beds is easily discerned. A second fold closure is behind the camera, but is much less easy to detect. Unfortunately an elevated viewpoint is not easily obtained here. Drone anybody? Aerial imagery of this scene from the OS Maps web site is spectacular. See NX9956 : Sedimentary strata for explanation of the strata.

Jonathan Wilkins

Chondrites trace fossil

Burrowing traces in sandstone are picked out by oblique illumination of the sandstone strata. The field of view is approximately 30cms wide.

Jonathan Wilkins

Stacked channels in sandstone

Thick beds of sandstone record the deposition of sediments by a meandering channel, each package being delineated by excellent cross-stratification. Some beds are more massive, and there are places where water has been expelled from the saturated sediments to create volcano-like escape structures. These features are indicative of rapid deposition in a seismically-active area. On a historical note, I was first introduced to these rocks as a geology student in April 1975 during my first proper field-study course. It has been a particular pleasure to visit and examine them again in the light of long experience!

Jonathan Wilkins

Cockle-shell beach

Although the local shore is predominantly sandy, there are many places where thick deposits of shells, predominantly cockles, have been built up by wave action.

Jonathan Wilkins

Courtyard entry

The courtyard area dates from the 17th century and pre-dates the present house. It is a fine and historic space with great charm.

Jonathan Wilkins

Limestone strata with erratic

The upper shore towards Borron Point is paved with gently dipping limestone strata of great interest and importance, with fine fossils of corals and shelly fauna. A few remarkably large erratic boulders of granite are dropped about, and probably remain from the erosion of thicker glacial deposits now lost to the sea, though the surprise is that there are so few smaller stones around.

Jonathan Wilkins

Limestone with fossils

Limestone belonging to the Yoredale Group (Carboniferous, Asbian to Yeadonian age) makes outcrop for a considerable distance along the upper shore. Here I have illustrated one of the fossiliferous beds, which includes solitary coral, gastropod, bivalve and brachiopod remains on the surface, and chondrites trace fossil burrowing within the body of the rock. The field of view is around 30cms.

Jonathan Wilkins

Glacial erratic boulder

Often photographed, but none the less for all the attention. I could not pass this famous and fabulous erratic boulder which sits on entirely unrelated and much younger strata than the granite which it comprises. I am intrigued by the size and paucity of the erratic boulders here, given that other areas of the coast are absolutely covered with erratics, though not so large as this (for example NX8148 : Boulder shore).

Jonathan Wilkins