Torridonian Sandstone
Locations : Around Torridon & Kinlochewe
This specimen came from Slioch - a near neighbour to Liathach. The mountains of this region are formed of layers of this stuff capped with a nice crunchy quartzite topping.
Conglomerate
Locations : Arran, far NW Scotland
Conglomerate forms when pebbles get cemented into a new rock with finer grains. Some of the oldest rock in Britain are the conglomerates that can be found around Wester Ross (upto 3000 million years old). This piece came from the coast of Arran from my Cock Of Arran walk.
Cotswold Limestone
Locations : Cotswolds
It looks like a grainy sandstone, but close examination reveals that this honey coloured rock is a limestone formed from countless billions of tiny shells, each less than a millimetre long. The whole of the Cotswolds is made of this stuff, so there must have been an unimagineable number of tiny sea creatures to make it.
Locations : Kent, Sussex, Isle Of Wight, Dorset
Brilliant white chalk is most famous for making up the white cliffs of Dover (now turning green in places, because natural erosion has been stopped by the dumping of spoil over them during construction of the Channel Tunnel). Chalk is a soft crumbly rock not suited to climbing. It is also extremely greasy when wet. This piece came from the cliffs at the Western end of the Isle Of Wight. Isle Of Wight walk
Locations : Isle of Wight
Beside the fossil forest, much of the heavy clay contains gypsum crystals. Most of them are quite small - so it can be fiddly picking them out. Isle Of Wight walk
Locations : Peak District
Gritstone is a rather grainy form of sandstone. You'll find it all around Kinder Scout and the Dark Peak. Where it stands proud of the landscape in tors and edges, the effect of wind and rain has carved smooth curvy shapes. Having such a grippy texture, the rocks of this area make a climbers playground.
Peat
Locations : upland Britain
Peat is the precursor to coal. Its formed from the decay of vegetation (usually sphagnum moss) in a wet acidic environment. In most places you'll find moss or grasses growing on the surface, or a layer of water covering it. Given time and a little metamorphosis you eventually get Anthracite or other coals.