Annbank fossils and fossil collecting

At Annbank, exposures can be found on the left hand bank of the river Ayr. The exact location is just opposite Annbank village with a second exposure just South of the old piers, 1 mile north of Tarholm Bridge.
There is access down to the river, but it is well hidden. Access can be made from Annbank iteself by a footpath.
Visit when water levels are low, and collecting will be both safer and more productive. Please take care as the sides can be quite steep. This is NOT a location suitable for families or children

GRID REF: 55.47424°N, 4.52001°W

Plant remains

A famous but now over-collected location, once yielding a rich variety of plant remains in the coal measures. It can be hard to find and often, the beds are so over collected that fossils are now hard to find.

Low

Annbank was once a location highly rich in plant remains. It is now over collected and the beds are hard to to find.

Not for children

We do not recommend children to this site, it is dangerous with steep sides, fast flowing water and poisonous weed

Difficult Access

Annbank is easy to find but the footpath down to the river is well hidden and may take a while to locate.

River bank collecting

Fossils are found in the river and stream beds which cut through carboniferous rocks.

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.

Annbank has several dangers, the most important is the poisonous weed in the river. We advise people visiting to ensure that you wear gloves and wash your hands carefully after the visit. Annbank can also be dangerous when water levels are high, so we advise visiting during the summer after low rainfall.

Last updated:	2009
last visited:	2008
Written by:	Alister and Alison Cruickshanks


This is not an easy location to collect. It is very hard to find. Plant remains are found just before the Barren Red Bed, which marks the river bed. The shales above this are rich in fossils but have been mostly washed away and over collected. The area to look for is the bank itself. The upper shale beds are much less productive and the best beds are the lowest. Often, water levels can be very high which makes collecting difficult. Shales at Annbank

	Carboniferous, 310mya
The Carboniferous Coal Measures at Annbank are between the Westphalian B - Ell Coal and the base of Barren Red Measures (Westphalian D). The plants are found just above the Barren Red Measures.

Other similar locations

Other nearby locations which have carboniferous shale are; Dalmellington Tip, Auchinleck Tip, Annbank, and Saltcoats.

There are also locations in the Edinburgh district including East Wemyss

Geological Tools

A pick is very handy at this location, you will need plenty of paper to wrap your finds.

Stone Tumblers

Microscopes

Geological Supplies

If you are interested in fossil collecting, then you may also be interested in a stone tumbler (Lapidary). You can polish stones and rocks from the beach which will look fantastic polished using a stone tumbler.

You can polish rough rock and beach glass whilst collecting fossils, on those days where you come back empty handed. These are all high quality machines to give a professional finish to your samples. They can even be used for amber and fossils.

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.

UKGE, the owners of UK Fossils, are your market leader for Geological Supplies and Geology Equipment. Suppling Retail, Education and Trade in the UK, Europe and beyond.

We sell a wide range of geological hammer and geological picks as well as fossil tools, starter packs and geological chisels.

UKGE is your geological superstore, selling a wide range of field equipment, rocks, minerals, fossils, geological and even microscopy!

(C)opyright 2008 - UKGE Limited, UK Fossils Network and Deposits Magazine, all rights reserved.
Whilst we try to ensure that all content is accurate and up to date we cannot guarantee this. UK Fossils takes no responsibility in the accuracy of this content, nor takes any liabilities for any trips, events or exchanges between visitors using either the discussion board or the UK Fossils planner. Any posted trips and events by UK Fossils are personal and not arranged by UK Fossils, therefore visitors should seek their own personal insurance cover. Please remember to always check the tide times.
Fossil Discussions | News | Stone Tumblers | Magazine | Search Geo | UKGE | Geological Timeline | A to Z | Contact us