Fossil heritage conservation in Scotland

2019

A globally significant palaeontological resource is an integral part of Scotland’s geoheritage. A strong amateur collector tradition, extending back over two centuries has helped fuel scientific advance with the fossil resource also supporting hobby collecting. However, during the long history of collecting activity, finite fossil resources have been under pressure with instances of large-scale collecting that has damaged some particularly vulnerable localities. Legislative provisions over recent decades offer robust site-based protection that will have safeguarded some of the best and most representative fossil localities. Additionally, the Scottish Fossil Code, the first national code of …