Interpretation rooted in the landscape
It was our intention all along that any built elements should blend seamlessly within this unique landscape. Using locally sourced materials, traditional craftsmanship and understated design, the new interpretation invites visitors to engage with their surroundings, and discover the story beneath their feet.

Master drystane dyker Callum Gray carefully rebuilt  the formerly tumbledown walls that lined the fields and created ‘pause points’ along the route. Each features a beautifully inscribed block of red sandstone, hand carved by Michelle De Bruin. The CMC content team selected the words that appear on these directly from James Hutton’s works, giving weight and presence to his voice within the landscape, and highlighting some of his lesser-known quotes.  

The look and feel developed fro the interpretive graphics also borrows from the landscape, using exact shades borrowed from stones and lichen.

For the main viewpoint, CMC designed, and Callum built, a circular stone shelter with integrated seating and viewing area. With vertically stacked greywacke and horizontal layers of red sandstone, the structure echoes  the unconformity itself. Large Caithness stone slabs provide durable seating, creating a quiet space for visitors to take in the landscape. We also wanted this to provide a sheltered area where visitors could sit and spend more time engaging with the geological story. There is more to read here with several information panels and a model of the rocks. QR codes take visitors to rich digital content including a short video tour of the rocks below and a song from acclaimed Scottish singer/songwriter Karine Polwart.

Following the installation of the Corten steel structures by Old School Fabrications, the internal stonework was completed using the same carefully considered combination of greywacke and red sandstone, reinforcing the geological story through the construction itself.

Making geology accessible

Through the inclusion of poetry and song, and reflections on the meaning of Deep Time and by following Hutton’s personal journey towards his discovery – with content that makes strong use of a range of expert perspectives, drawing on voices past and presence and foregrounds Scots language – the trail content also invites emotional connection, helping bring spark and contemporary relevance to the subject matter.

Visiting the unconformity up close is currently only possible via a steep descent down a cliffside. Aside from being inaccessible to many visitors, this was something our client was keen to discourage due to health and safety reasons. So, to make this extraordinary feature accessible to everyone, or at least anyone who can reach the viewpoint, we developed an interpretive display combining a tactile 3D model with an audiovisual guide of the rocks, accessed through a QR code. 

The finished display should enable many more visitors to Siccar Point to appreciate one of Scotland’s most iconic geological landmarks and better understand the discovery that changed the way we think about deep time.

The resulting trail sits quietly along the Berwickshire coastline while telling one of the most important stories in the history of geology. Within a few months of launching this experience has already been warmly received by visitors from around the world.

Find out more about the Deep Time Trail: https://james-hutton.org/deep-time-trail/