For its relatively small size the Isle of Man contains an abundance of geological variety. From the metamorphosed, deep marine sediments of the Manx and Dalby Groups, to Carboniferous limestones and Devonian terrestrial sandstones; from intrusive granites and Tertiary dykes to submarine basalts; and from ore mineralisation to recent glacial sedimentation.

The Isle of Man forms a crucial piece of the geological jigsaw that makes up the continents of Europe and North America. However, for many years the Island’s geology has missed the attention it deserves and it is only recently that some of its geological significance has been uncovered. Resurgence in interest was stimulated by the first edition of this guide in 1993 and then by the British Geological Survey remapping the Skiddaw slates in the Lake District looking along strike at the equivalent rocks in the Isle of Man. This fully revised guide includes information from several recent studies including new research on the Manx Group.

The aim of the guide is to help both the professional geologist and interested amateur to investigate the rocks themselves and to put them in a modern scientific context. The guide is in two parts: the first provides an overview of the geology of the Island and tries to explain how this evolved over time. The second part describes specific localities in the form of a series of excursion itineraries. These form the basis of highly instructive field courses for students as well as both professional and amateur geologists. With its wide variety of geological features, mostly easily accessible on foreshores, students and leaders alike have found the Island fascinating.