Edward Tyler continues his journey along the Highland Boundary Fault, heading north-east to the popular village of Balmaha, on the eastern shores of Loch Lomond - a place where geology and landscape collide in plain sight.

On a shoreline walk in search of Serpentinite, the distinctive rock we first encountered back in Innellan, Ed traces the path of the Fault once more. Climbing to a viewpoint above the loch, he takes in a breathtaking panorama that makes the contrast between Highlands and Lowlands unmistakable - a geological dividing line written across the landscape.

Along the way, we learn how striking local features like Conic Hill and the string of islands across Loch Lomond aren’t random: they were formed by the same tectonic forces that shaped the Highland Boundary Fault, and now conveniently map out its invisible route.

🪨 Themes: Landscape interpretation, tectonic legacy, visible geology, serpentine rock, natural boundaries

📍 Location: Balmaha, Loch Lomond

🧭 Try It Yourself:

– Download the walking leaflet: “Balmaha: Where the Lowlands Meets the Highlands” from www.geologyglasgow.org.uk

– Visit the Balmaha Visitor Centre (free entry) for interpretation panels and a hands-on rock collection

Join the walk as Ed stands on the very threshold of Highland and Lowland - and lets the landscape tell its ancient story.

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Ed Tyler sets off on an extraordinary journey along one of Britain’s most dramatic and little-known geological features: the Highland Boundary Fault. Over five episodes, Edward walks the length of the Faultline, uncovering the science, stories, and landscapes that define the shifting edge between Highlands and Lowlands.

We begin at the south-western end of the Fault, in Innellan, a coastal village on the Firth of Clyde. Here, Edward meets Keith Torrance, a geologist who lives just steps away from where the Fault cuts through the beach. Amongst the rocks and tide, Keith reveals how to read the land — explaining the dramatic forces that forged the Highland Boundary Fault hundreds of millions of years ago.

Later, over coffee, the conversation broadens: what exactly is a fault? Why do they matter? And how do they shape the ground — and lives — above them?

🪨 Themes: Geological time, fault lines, plate tectonics, earthquakes, the making of Scotland

🎙️ Guest: Keith Torrance, geologist and local expert

📍 Location: Innellan, Firth of Clyde

📚 Further Reading:

– BGS Geological Map Viewer: https://mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain/home.html

– Scottish Geology Trust – Highland Boundary Fault overview: https://www.scottishgeologytrust.org

Start the journey where the land begins to shift — and discover what lies beneath the surface.

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Join writer and permaculturalist Edward Tyler as he walks the length of one of Britain’s most remarkable geological features: the Highland Boundary Fault.

Spanning five episodes, Earth Lines uncovers the science, stories, landscapes, and people living along this ancient tectonic divide between Scotland’s Highlands and Lowlands. From seaside rocks to seismic recorders, distilleries to eco-museums, this is a journey into Deep Time, the living land, and the subtle lines written into our landscapes that shape the world around us.

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