Kennedys Pass fossils and fossil collecting |
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 From Girvan, head south along the A77, this is a busy road and you will go through some average speed cameras.
Pass the small hamlet of Ardwell, noticeable by one of the houses bearing the Ardwell name and a small bay which is Ardwell Bay. The road will then continue fairly straight for just under a mile, and then turns slightly west following the coastline.
Just round this bend is Kennedys Pass, which is also marked on OS 1:25,000 scale maps. There is a lay-by on the opposite side of the road nearby, you can then cross (with care as this is a busy road!), and you will see a small cliff with rocks which you can descend.]
GRID REF: 55.19768°N, 4.91166°W
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Brachiopods, Trilobites, Corals, Ostracods, Graptolites and Conodonts |
At Kennedy’s Pass, you will find a formation that is full of conglomerate units, mudstone, siltstone and sandstones. Within this formation, you can find a wide range of fossils including trilobites, graptolites, corals and brachiopods. But, they are not easy to find. The productive beds are lower down which are mostly covered up by the less productive upper beds. |
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Low
There are many excellent fossils to be found at this location, the problem is that the good productive beds are mostly covered up. The top beds contain too many pebbles and cobbles, with fossils being quite rare. For this reason, this location is rated as low. If you have time, it is still worth the trip to try you luck in searching and splitting the rocks
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Not for Children
We would not recommend children at this site as the rocks can be large and slippery; also you will probably come away with nothing. There are other sites nearby in the area which children can visit without any difficulty. |
Very Good Access
Park in a lay-by beside the road and then drop down to start collecting from the small cliff. Be warned that this road has average speed cameras, which even if you go slightly over the speed limit between two points, you could receive a fine in the post! |
Cliffs and Foreshore
Most of the time, the only exposures are a small cliff which you can easily descend from the road. The rocks here can contain fossils, but the best more productive rocks are below beach level. During scouring conditions, the foreshore will contain rocks with more of a mudstone consistency which will give you a much better chance of finding fossils. |
No Restrictions
There are no restrictions at this location, but please follow the Scottish Fossil Code below, and also our own UK Fossils Code of Conduct. |
If you collect fossils in Scotland, the advice on best practice in the collection and storage of fossil specimens, set out in the Scottish Fossil Code, applies to you. The Code may be viewed and downloaded from www.snh.org.uk/fossilcode.
 
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At high tide, the sea reaches the base of the cliff, however, since the foreshore rocks are often covered up, collecting from the small cliff can often be done at anytime as long as you take care and keep away from any steep slopes. Some of the rocks can be steel, slippery and therefore dangerous. This main road is also very busy so extra care should be taken. |
| Last updated: |
2010 |
| last visited: |
2008 |
| Written by: |
Alister and Alison Cruickshanks |
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Once you descend the low cliff from the main road, you will immediate see conglomerate beds packed with small pebbles and larger boulders intermixed with mudstone and siltstones. You need to climb to the lowest beds at the bottom, although this is not easy as these beds are often covered up. Nevertheless, the top beds still contain fossils, it is just much harder to find them!
The rocks here are of the Balclatchie Formation, and can contain brachiopods, trilobites, corals, ostracods, graptolites and conodonts. These are the same colour as the rocks, but are often fairly well preserved. During scouring conditions, since the best beds are found below beach level, this is the best time to collect from this location.
Balclatchie Formation
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Ordovician, 450mya |
The Balclatchie Formation is part of the Ardmillan Group, Ordovician age and can be up to 300m thick, and Kennedy’s Pass contains the best exposures. The beds consist of blue-grey nodular mudstone , siltstones, fine sandstone and conglomerates. The top beds are the Kilranny Conglomerate Member, which contains cobbles and boulders in a pebbly coarse sandstone. The more consistent mudstone layers are found at the base which are also more productive in fossils. The best fossiliferious exposures are found at craighead quarry.
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Within the rocks, you can find a wide range of fossils.
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Related Books |
Microscopes |
Test Sieves for Microfossils |
The best guide available for this area is the small booklet on Girvan published by the Geological Survey and available from our online store. It is a sheet explanation and covers the geological formations around Girvan in great detail, along with the fossils found and further locations not featured on this website.
Click here for this book.
The standard geological map of Girvan is also an excellent buy showing you exactly where the best beds are, and is related to from the sheet explanation.
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At most locations, you can find microfossils. You only need a small sample of the sand. You then need to wash it in water and sieve using a test sieve. Once the sand is processed, you can then view the contents using a microscope.
We have a wide range of microscopes for sale, you will need a Stereomicroscope for viewing microfossils. The best one we sell is the IMXZ, but a basic microscope will be fine. Once you have found microfossils, you will need to store these microfossils.
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Test Sieves are used when searching for microfossils. Microfossils can be found in many locations, and all you need is a small amount of sample such as clays, sands and shales, or if you have acid, limestone, oolite or chalk.
Our UKGE Store sells Endecotts Test Sieves, which are the highest in accuracy and extremely durable and long lasting. These Test Sieves are fantastic for microfossils. Endecotts Test Sieves come in a variety of sizes, frame material and types, they are certificated to EU Standards. |
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