Thank you! Really enjoyed working on this one :)

The waterlogged, oxygen-poor soil means that when plants die, they slowly turn into peat. Healthy peatlands store vast amounts of carbon but commercial cutting, burning and draining have degraded them. Dry, exposed peat releases CO2 back into the atmosphere, which contributes to the climate crisis.

Blanket bogs lie like giant duvets across Scotland. They developed on acidic rocks where incoming rainfall could not drain away. Only plants that thrive in acidic soils - such as Sphagnum mosses - can survive there.

Thank you so much! Hope you’ll enjoy it :)

It also has non-standard guidebook features like:

– the etymology of every rock name

– a more philosophical take on the rock cycle

– an entry on the confusing existence of dolomite (the rock) and dolomite (the mineral)

– lithic mindfulness

– sneaky Lady Gaga and The Weather Girls references

It has over 100 different rocks: there are sections for igneous, volcaniclastic, sedimentary, metamorphic and anthropic (rocks influenced or made by humans) – something no other geology guide has. Expect ID tips, notes on its formation, and what that can tell us about the Earth’s geological past

Rhynie Chert is also the oldest preserved terrestrial ecosystem. The hot, mineral-rich water erupted from geysers periodically coated anything it landed on. It literally petrified the plants, animals and fungi. Their tissue was replaced with silica, which even preserved the individual cells.

Nestled in a mountain valley were hydrothermal springs and geysers, not unlike Rotorua or Yellowstone today. This place was home to some of the earliest plants that made it onto land. There is even evidence of fungal mycorrhizae linked to plant roots – just like we see today.

Back then, Scotland was in the middle of a continent called Laurussia, also called the ‘Old Red Continent’ (because of the Old Red Sandstone, a type of rock deposited in rivers that’s a deep burgundy colour). The Scottish Highlands were *high* (think Himalaya). Oh, and there were active volcanoes.

There is also a rock for every month to keep you company through the year! 2026 will feature metaconglomerate, komatiite, cross-bedded orthoquartzite, intrusive breccia, dunite, limestone, marble, agates and jaspers, blueschist, spherulitic pitchstone, geyserite and puddingstone 🪨 #illustration #art

The coloured bars underlying the dates correspond to the official chronostratigraphic chart, so it’s even easier to know where in the year / geological deep time you are on any given day!

Each day of 2026 corresponds to 12,512,329 years of our planet’s geological history. I highlighted different geological events throughout the months to help you visualise the unimaginable timescales of deep time (it makes for a great science communication or educational tool as well) #geology

Thank you! I am currently obsessed with ultramarine, so it features in most of my illustrations :D

This one is the National Museums Scotland in Edinburgh!