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Leadhills
The village of Wanlockhead in the Leadhills has been a centre of lead
mining for at least 800 years (and may well date back toRoman times).
Between the 1600's and the 1950's, lead was mined commercially from several
locations and was the most important ore
deposit in Scotland. However, among mineralogists, the site is famous
for the discovery of several new, rare species over the last two centuries
from the main ore bodies of lead, copper and zinc.
Mine dumps - the Leadhills-Wanlockhead district is the most
important lead-zinc deposit in Scotland. Over 60 mineral species have
been identified making this the most prolific Scottish mineral locality.
Primary sulphide ore minerals include galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite
and pyrite, but it is for the rare secondary minerals that the site is
world-renowned. © BGS/NERC
The ore bodies are found in more than 70 mineral-rich veins, which generally
trend NNW-SSE. The average width of the veins is 1m, although the largest
is 4.3m thick. The local country rocks are Ordovician volcaniclastic
greywackes, black
shales and cherts, and the veins themselves are in brecciated greywackes.
Two phases of mineralisation occurred. A non-metalliferous phase occurred
in association with the closure of the Iapetus
Ocean during the Silurian,
but the metalliferous phase did not occur until the mid-Carboniferous.
The productive minerals were:
- Galena (lead ore): 300 000 tonnes metallic lead
- Sphalerite (zinc ore): 10 000 tonnes
- Silver: 25 tonnes
Over 70 mineral species have been found, including quartz, ankerite, barite,
calcite, pyrite and chalcopyrite. Secondary minerals have included cerussite,
pyromorphite and the rare, veszelyite (copper-zinc). This site is the
type locality for:
caledonite, chenite, lanarkite, leadhillite, macphersonite, mattheddleite,
plattnerite, scotlandite and susannite (all secondary lead minerals).
Gold and silver have also been found in the area in considerable quantities
in the past, though today, quantities found are much more rare. However,
the area is the Scottish location of the annual Gold Panning World Championships.
Wanlockhead Museum - a visitor attraction providing an insight
into the process of lead mining and the lives of the miners and their
families who came to this remote spot. The lead mining museum is run by
the Wanlockhead Museum Trust. © Scottish Natural Heritage.
Further Reading:
Trewin, N. H. (ed.) 2002. The Geology of Scotland. The Geological
Society, London.
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