Events to mark 300 years since ‘founder of modern geology’ James Hutton was born
Events are taking place at various locations in Berwickshire to mark 300 years since the birth of a man described as the ‘founder of modern geology’.
James Hutton (1726–1797) was born in Edinburgh, but has strong connections with the Borders having farmed in Berwickshire for a dozen years in the mid-18th Century.
There, he set about enclosing and draining the land, and introducing new methods of ploughing and crop rotation.
His lifelong interest, however, was in understanding the processes that formed the rocks and landscape he saw around him.
The opening of a ‘Deep Time Trail’ to Hutton’s world-renowned site at Siccar Point will take place on Friday, May 29.
This project, funded jointly by Edinburgh Geological Society (EGS) and Cockburnspath and Cove Community Fund, will enhance the visitor experience at Siccar Point that lies just east of the holiday resort of Pease Bay.
The trail incorporates information panels highlighting the contribution made by Hutton to people’s understanding of geological processes and the forces that shape the landscape.
In addition, a local group of EGS members has put together a public exhibition on James Hutton at Cockburnspath Village Hall.
It will be open from 10.30am on Saturday, May 30 and from 11am on Sunday, May 31.
The group has also created a James Hutton Cycle Trail which links Siccar Point with the two farms in Berwickshire that Hutton inherited and worked in the mid-18th Century.
This 52km (32 miles) route starts and ends at Cockburnspath and includes around 915m (3,000 feet) of ascent.
At Paxton House on the banks of the Tweed, an exhibition focussing on James Hutton’s life and times will run from Wednesday, June 3 until the end of July. One of the highlights will be a talk on Hutton by the eminent geologist Alan McKirdy on Sunday, June 28.
Berwick Town Hall bells will be rung during the morning of Saturday, May 30 to commemorate Hutton’s agricultural and geological achievements in east Berwickshire.
Other local events during the summer include guided walks to Siccar Point and to another site connected to Hutton at Allar’s Mill in Jedburgh.
Full details of the events programme can be found on the official tercentenary website at www.james-hutton.org