Scottish Jasper (and my failure to find it)

So it turns out that minerals in Scotland are a lot more popular than I thought they would be. For this reason I have been toying with the idea of starting a separate blog entirely for my writing work. I had wanted to do it the other way around since this is the 'Katriona Writes' page but there are too many established readers now to change it up. So any good titles you have for a writing page in the comments please!

This Monday I went on a wet and windy quest into the Campsie Fells in an effort to find Jasper. Apparently it is one of the most abundant minerals in the area but that didn't help me any in terms of identification. I went armed only with the knowledge that you have to chip it out of rock and that it is red, yellow, blue and green.

Yeah the sign says it all...

What makes Scottish Jasper so special is that it comes in mixed patterns of red and yellow. Anywhere else in the world it comes out of the rock as either one or the other; but ins Scotland it can be streaked or spotted with both colours. Once again I was left in awe of this country's ability to produce world class minerals... if I could find any.

My research showed that the divide in colour of the Jasper is much like the staining I have found on other minerals in both the lower highlands and the southern uplands. A high presence of pyrite and other minerals in the soil leads to all shades of yellow, red, orange and pink minerals which would otherwise be white.

In the photo opposite you can see four minerals. The one on the left is Calcite druse, the other three are all Cairngorm Quartz. As you can see, it might be difficult to identify the chunk on the right and the bottom piece as Cairngorm Quartz simply because of the colour. This deep orange or yellow form is sometimes called a Cairngorm Citrine, so I'm pretty happy to add a few to the collection.

Anyway - back to the Jasper. My research showed up that it can be found throught the Crawford Moors (that's what they used to call the Leadhills/Wanlockhead/Crawford/Crawfordjohn areas back in the day) as well as in the Campsie Fells. It is mentioned in the Scottish Agates Jasper section that of all the recorded other places Jasper is found were 'dry' when the team there went to check.The culmination of this meant that I ended up at the Car Park in the Sky in the Campsies in really terrible weather, armed with a rock hammer and one dog.

Jasper still in the rock, someone already pinched most of it.

There are a number of walks and hikes you can take in this area and, had the weather been better, I would be keen to try them out. As it was I had to make do with reaching the nearest rock faces to the car park and having a gander. Contrary to the title I DID actually find some, and brought a small chip of it from the rock home with me...among another ten potential Jasper samples which I then mixed together...DOH!

Luckily I took a photo to prove it...

Fintry Kirk - something creepy that caught my eye on the way

Kai, dam unknown (I got lost)

So the result is a distinct lack of Scottish Jasper for the moment. I will definitely add it to my list of very interesting minerals though. As you can see from the colour it is fantastic in its natural form.It seems such a shame to chip it away from there.

The conclusion? I don't know if I have the heart for Scottish Jasper... but I have heard that you find Jasper-like Agate in Burn Anne... onwards and upwards, I always say!

(Jan 2023 update - Now that I can spot it I find more jasper than anything else. Check your nearest river, you are bound to find it.)

Rock picking in scotland

One of my favourite passtimes is to go out into this fabulous wilderness that surrounds me and retrieve mineral samples. This started as a lifelong interest in crystals, their healing power and their downright prettiness and has led me to some astonishing natural landscapes in the short year I have spent on it so far.

The photograph to the right is actually from a public park as you enter Kilsythe from the east. Dog (Kai) and I climbed to the top of the cliff face to look for rocks. This is the view from the top. There were some beautiful views but no visible quartz veins or other evidence of good veins.

Although this location wasn't successful the areas both north and south of where I live are littered with good finds.

Glencrieff Mine

The location to the left is Glencrieff Mine that lies just outside of Wanlockhead, the highest village in Scotland and home to the Lead Mining Museum. They call this part of Scotland "God's Treasure House" and do so with good reason.

There are three main veins that dissect Scotland and are of geological interest. The first dissects along the Southern Uplands range, the second along the Tyndrum band and the third can be found north again, this time up as far as Helmsdale. Understand that these veins run all the way across the country and are not limited to those areas.

This Calcite formed on hardened dirt

This means that all of these areas where gold is found is actually also prime crystal picking territory. The Calcite crystal sample to the right actually came from the mine pictured above. Calcite grows in absolute abundance here. You can't throw a stone without finding that stone is made of Calcite! These crystals are often growing on or around rock and are usually combined with other minerals from the area, such as Pyrite and Galena, which is a deep blue-grey when found in this locale.

Calcite Crystal from Wanlockhead, Scotland

The Calcite crystals themselves are mostly white and off-white. Some are yellow and some are stained red while some are growing from Galena leading to a beautiful silver blue hue on the surface crystal.

I learned early on that the make-up of Calcite means it will bubble when you put acid on it. This didn't stop me leaving a few pieces in vinegar to see what would happen. Within moments the vinegar turns black and murky as it starts to dissolve the dirt molecules. Unfortunately it doesn't stop there, and it will move on to destroying any aged calcite crystals that are breaking down already. Ultimately you will be left with only the strongest of the crystals and even these will be coated with a powdery dusting of dissolved calcium.

Possible Pyromorphite from Wanlockhead, Scotland

 

Interestingly, if you put quartz into acid it won't bubble. So if you ever find yourself with an unknown clear crystal formation and you pop it into vinegar the Calcite will produce small bubbles while the quartz will not! Not so common in this area but still found are Pyromorphite and reportedly Flourite, although I have yet to find any. Gold too, of course, though all I ever get in my pan is flour gold too fine to amount to anything.

My rock box, where crystals go to be cleaned

 

Traditionally, Scottish rocks consist mainly of agates. Agates are easily identifiable as multiple layers of colour all inside one stone. You do get sandstone like this too but it is very easy to tell the difference just by feel alone. An Agate found on the riverbed is likely to have the coloured layer exposed whereas one dug out of the fields is more likely to resemble a bumpy potato and be encased in some sort of stone. I haven't had the pleasure of digging up an agate yet.

Kai at Elie Bay

More recently we took a road trip out to Elie Bay in the hope of finding some of the elusive Elie Bay rubies. No joy yet, but we did come across this magnificent vein in the exposed bedrock. I believe it is quartz but I have yet to test it in acid. The theory of Elie Bay is to do with a deep red coloured seaweed dyes the rock red. I don't know if I have been searching the wrong locations or what but I haven''t given up on finding an Elie Ruby yet...

Lastly for today I think, Scotland is home to some of the most beautiful Morion quartz in the world. Me and doag are always out hunting the darkest pieces and actually sell some of it on Etsy. If you happen to be a crystal collector or someone with a tumbler who wants samples get in touch and we can work something out. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures and I will try to keep you up-to-date with my escapades... it all slows down here in the winter though... but I have a whole summer's worth of rocks to sort out meantime!

Morion Smokey Quartz from my collection

You can buy some of these lovely samples for yourself through the Stone Circle page.

An Introduction to Gold Panning in Wanlockhead, Scotland

Kai enjoying the sun

As the 2018 season draws to a close and the mining museum shuts its doors for the winter; now is a good time to do a little introduction to gold panning in Wanlockhead, and some of the do's and don't's associated with it.

As some of you know 2018 was my first season "on the water". I'm telling you this first because I don't want anyone to think it has made me rich, or that there is a single thing in my house worth stealing. For a whole season I don't have much to show yet - but I have learned enough in those few short months to know where to find it, how to find it and how to get it out of the dang'd water to boot.

All that being said if you are looking for an old pro to guide you I am not the one. If you are a noob just starting out then pay attention, there are probably a few things you can learn from my (many) mistakes.

So first off there are a few rules to follow when you are gold panning in Scotland. First and foremost you must do no damage to flora and fauna, or to natural habitats. It is OK to dig into things as long as you fill your hole back in - and I can't stress this enough... ALWAYS fill your hole back in. It's the best way to let the reserves replenish and to ensure you don't change the flow of the whole river. as for the flora and fauna thing that means rinse the moss, don't pull it out at the roots. That moss took years to get there. While we are on the subject don't go digging into the banks either, keep it around the water and respect the land.

One of many waterways near Leadhills

Another very important rule is about location. There are rivers in Scotland that harbour a protected species of shellfish called the Freshwater Mussel. I don't have a photo because I have never come across one. You cannot pan in rivers known to home this species under any circumstances. You should also avoid any areas where salmon or other freshwater fish populate. Disturbing the silt in the river bed can upset their eggs, so be thoughtful about where you pan. A good way to get around this is to only work streams, although your chances of finding gold are higher in a river. Hence why the Leadhills area is quite so popular.

When you choose to pan in Wanlockhead you eliminate the problem of permission. You can buy a license from the Lead Mining Museum for as little as £3.50 for a day and you can rent a pan for about a fiver, so one day to have a shot and see if you like it really doesn't cost you much. I should also mention that there are some good maps out there that show where the gold veins run in Scotland. This one from GeoCache goes some way to explaining why Wanlockhead is such a popular mining area.

If you choose to go to other places to pan then this is reasonable. You need to get permission from the landowner - never poach for gold. If you have the landowner's permission and someone complains to you, you are in the right and you do not need to move on. However, the crown has already claimed all of the gold in Scotland - so if you do find a £50K nugget you need to formally ask the Queen if you can keep it. I'm only half kidding.

Exposed Bedrock is a good place to hunt for gold.

So: you have got the license, you have got your gold pan, you brought a shovel... where do you start looking? It's not as simple as picking any spot and digging, rather you need to examine the river for the best places to dig into. The river will have what is called a 'gold stream' which is the path that the gold slides down while it works its way through the water. If you dig down and get no gold you might not be on a gold stream and you may have just wasted two hours digging. Trust the voice of experience and learn how to test pan before you commit to a giant, fruitless, hole. I may do an article on that in the future, for now let's keep going.

Where the stream meets the river is another good place.

So the gold stream will generally build up around bends and it can be fairly easy to work it out when you get the hang of things. Imagine you are going down the river in a boat and riding the current. Which parts of the river would you hit? Look in those places for silt banks and that's where you dig. Another important thing to learn is that an open hole usually means whoever was digging it is coming back to finish it then fill it in. You should never jump into someone else's hole. It's rude. Likewise digging three foot downstream from them is cheeky as hell. Find your own spot so nobody questions you.

So once you have picked a place you want to look for clues. Things like quartz crystals, pyrite, other interesting mineral presences in the first pan you pull out. If the signs are looking good dig deeper. If you still don't find anything dig deeper some more. If you find anything like lead shot, nails or old steel bolts you are on the right track. Wear gloves because there are a lot of ignorant people that camp on the Mennock and leave their rubbish behind. There are smashed up bottles and all sorts, so be careful (and while we're at it don't be one of them).

Like my wellies?

Pyrite will fool you. If you can swirl water in the pan and the fleck of gold moves then it's generally pyrite. If you can't move it then it might be gold. You will find gold where you find fine black sand, which usually means you need to be right down to the bedrock level. The idea of using the pan is to shake it to trap the heavier debris in the bottom, then to wash away the top layers one layer at a time until you are left with only those heavier pieces. Prepare to have a sore neck and an aching back that first few times...

In terms of equipment you will need a garden spade, a gold pan and something to get the gold out with and store it in on your fist attempt. The Lead Mining Museum sells everything you need to get started and have a whole bunch more information than I could ever put here. If you want to increase your knowledge base before you go out and try for yourself then make a customary stop there on your first visit. They do great work and you will learn a lot.

Another way to learn is to stop the car and ask panners themselves. Most of them don't mind a chat, just don't ask them to share good spots with you. They won't. It takes a long time to learn where the good spots are and their locations are closely guarded secrets. The one I used for the pictures is one I found for myself. It isn't great and there is a load of man-made sand in there that makes it difficult to pan. For all my effort once again I got very little flour gold... One of these days though, the elusive nugget will be mine!

So that's all for today. I may return to this topic in the future, I want to gauge the reaction of the community first and make sure I haven't upset anyone with my article. Gold Panners are some of the best secret keepers in the world - but I'm one of them... you won't be getting any good spots from me either... you will just have to find them for yourself!

Writing Edelweiss; Dark Science, part one.

So the time has come for the obligatory "this is how I wrote my first book" blog post. I apologise in advance to those who show up for the funny stuff, I'll try to make sure it isn't a dry read.

The Final Cover Image, courtesy of Craig Anderson Photography

Edelweiss started as a character: Dr Abigail Jones (who was never a real Doctor, just a healer in disguise). This was a character I developed to play in a Live Action Role Play and was probably the first character that I went to bed and dreamed about. She was very real to me. To this day I have other Larpers to thank for some of the characters... Rufus Frank, who you meet in Valerian, Captain Charles Echan, Mister Talphibious and Asa Lupine were all based on real people; Talphibious and Frank only loosely.

The setting is completely different to the LARP world I played, albeit with similarities. The original Abigail Jones was a member of the Temple of Shadows (ironically the good guys) so her path was never going to be easy. The story developed with her as a starting point but, as she was only a girl, I needed a caretaker who was loyal and who could remind her of where she came from when her ideas got too big for her boots. Stephen Lawrence was born as Paul Thomas Damas, a name I changed in later drafts for reasons that won't become clear until you read the second and third books.

My main protagonist was always going to be a dual threat of Catherine and the mystery murderer we meet in the prologue.What I didn't expect was for those two characters to take on their own stories throughout the series. It has been just as interesting for me to find out what they have been up to as it is for the reader. The trouble with writing character-driven stories is that sometimes they change the plot for themselves because of their attitudes and abilities. Abigail is particularly hard to write because she is always off doing her own thing. She needs a big group around her so that she can be constantly reigned back in. Usually for her own good. If she didn't have Stephen she would have marched straight from Beeton to Estora and got herself killed in chapter 2. So.

An alternative image, courtesy of Craig Anderson Photography

People often ask how I go about the process of writing and it is very simple. I sit down at a blank screen and I tell the stories that I would like to read. There isn't enough dark, nearly-horror-but-not-quite fantasy out there. When I have come across it (mentioning no names) I have found it a little flowery and hard to read in places. I think my style is very simple but I believe that simple can be more shocking at times. I guess all writing is subjective and it just comes down to what you like.

As for planning well, I started with the prologue as a back story for Abigail and just couldn't stop telling the story. I had to get her out of there so I did. Then I had to get her to Ronton Bay, so I did. After that things just kind of took care of themselves. I knew at some point Asa would come into play and that later she would get to the root of the problem - but in terms of planning that was about it. What I will say is that I worked on Edelweiss; Dark Science, part one for eight years before I put it into a real format and edited out the parts I didn't like. In the future I will post about some of these, though it will contain spoilers, so not yet...

There's no better feeling than holding the hard copy!

So during that eight years I hand wrote it, re-wrote it, typed it up, lost it to a computer error, typed it up again and then decided to commit myself and publish. Stories constantly evolve and change and even now, two and a half books later, I still have a hazy memory of what went into the final cut and what I left out. I spend a huge amount of editing time checking back on old details to make sure I have people's eye colour just right, or their back stories on point... I did keep a compendium of all the details but it changed so much between drafts it became useless.



Writing a book is time consuming, it is hard, it is confusing and it takes a lot of imagination. Then when you do produce work you imagine it isn't good enough to be read by anyone and that you should probably take it down. Nevertheless we persist, because stories need to be told and that's just how it is.

And now I have Edelweiss. Go check it out. At the very least it will give you a glimpse into my world.

Editing because I realised I didn't put a link to the book in so here we are: you can buy a copy of Edelweiss; Dark Science, part one (in either paperback or E-book) by following this link.