Strontian, Scotland/strontian805
Previous | Home | NextLoch Ness, 50 km northeast of Fort William, formed along The Great Glen Fault. The fault was created during the Caledonian orogeny, 490-390 millions years ago, when Laurentia, Baltica, and Avalonia collided (pre-North America to the west, pre-Europe to the east, and a microcontinent to the south, respectively) to form Euramerica. The Caledonian orogeny was named from the Latin word for Scotland, Caledonia. The Great Glen Fault stretches not only from Loch Linnhe to Loch Ness, but far beyond both to the northeast and southwest. Its extension can even be located on the North American continent in Canada! (It is to be remembered that the fault is 400 millions years old, but North America separated from Europe less than 100 million years ago). Loch Ness itself formed very recently, only ten thousand years ago as glaciation retreated.
