Recently, I had the good fortune to represent the Smithsonian Institution’s travel program. Smithsonian JourneyI spoke as a geology lecturer to 145 guests, sailing from Glasgow, Scotland to Bergen, Norway, stopping at six beautiful and scenic destinations. It was a true honor to represent the Smithsonian in this way and to help visitors gain a broader understanding of Earth history and modern Earth processes. This post will only cover the first two stops in Scotland, the rest of Scotland and Norway will be covered in subsequent posts.Below are the three formal lectures I gave on board.
1. Scotland’s Landscape and Geology: The Birthplace of Modern Geology
2. Orkney and Shetland through the ages
2. Norwegian Fjords, Glaciers, and Global Climate Change (plus a short history from the Smithsonian Institution)
On land, there was also the opportunity to meet with guests individually to further their observations and insights, and on the voyage, they traveled through a landscape that included rock formations that were up to three centuries old. a billion A variety of rocks were deposited, ranging from Paleogene lavas (Lewis Gneiss) about 60 million years ago to Paleogene lavas (Lewis Gneiss) about 60 million years ago. The highlight for me was learning more about the Caledonian Orogeny, where North America collided with Baltica (ancient Scandinavia) and Avalonia (ancient France and Iberia). The formation of these mountains began about 430 million years ago.
Glasgow
We made it in time for the ship’s departure! The flight from Phoenix to the UK was delay After 21 hours (it wasn’t cancelled) and other delays, we arrived at the ship’s terminal just as the gangway was about to rise. It was quite an adventure.
 |
| From the Arizona desert to the lush greenery of Scotland – this is Glasgow |
 |
| Down the River Clyde from Glasgow – I missed this very interesting city. |
Fort William and Loch Ness
Isle of Skye
The Isle of Skye is the northernmost and largest island of the Inner Hebrides. It has a rich human history dating back to the Mesolithic period (approximately 14,000 to 5,500 years ago in Scotland). The landscape is rugged, with deep bays and jutting peninsulas.
 |
| Our visit began with the ship anchored off the coast of Portree, Skye’s largest town with a population of around 2,200. It is known for its colorfully painted pier buildings. |
 |
| As we rounded the edge of the island, we saw layered basalt cliffs. |
 |
| The rolling hills visible behind the white houses are a huge landslide caused by rotated blocks of rock. Slide from left to right (west to east) |
 |
| As we drove around the island, we came across a cliff covered in basalt rocks. Cliffs, cliffs with waterfalls |
 |
| Looking south, we could see the vast cliffs. The lava erupted during the Paleogene period, about 60 million years ago. |
In my next post I will cover the Orkney and Shetland Island groups, so stay tuned!
