Strontian is a small village, in the county of Argyll, attractively located on Loch Sunart in the western Highlands of Scotland and close to the mouth of the Great Glen and the island of Mull.
Its name derives from the Scots Gaelic language and means "point of the fairies".

The mineral site is actually a couple of miles from the village of Strontian, near Beinn Resipol, a peak reaching 847 metres, and the locality known as Scotstown.

The mineralization is related to the neighbouring, granitic intrusion - the Strontian Granite - one of a series of intrusions, called the "newer granites", straddling Scotland's Grampian Highlands and which are mostly Devonian in age.

Location map of STRONTIAN

Between 1722 and 1904, silver, lead and zinc were extracted from the mines with galena the main focus of attention. In the 1980s, this turned to the extraction of barite - for use as filler in boreholes in the offshore oil industry.
Over its long and irregular history of mining activities, several areas have been exploited, including the Corrantree, Middleshop and Fee Donald Mines.
However, the most impressive and typical specimens are from the Bellsgrove and Whitesmith Mines and, more recently, the Clashgorm Mine. Between them, they have produced very good quality brewsterite and harmotome specimens, as well as calcite and very occasionally strontianite.

CALCITE
Clashgorm Mine, Strontian, Argyll, SCOTLAND.
Amber rhombic crystals to 20mm, showing internal light play.

In the past few years, excellent, amber-brown calcite specimens and blocky, crystal groups of harmotome have been extracted. Additionally, some galena and millerite specimens have also recently been found.(see photos)

As a result of several re-developments on older sites, as well as developing new ones, some confusion has arisen as to the correct location of recent specimens. The most common labelling for these harmotome and calcite specimens extracted over the past few years has been the Whitesmith Mine or the "New Mine"
(there are several of these).

The confusion prompted top British collector, Stephen Moreton, to investigate. After studying plans and consulting with the mine geologist at the site, there is little doubt the specimens are from the Clashgorm Mine - and should be labelled as such.

The Minerals of Strontian

A brief description follows of the species most associated with the locality.

At the 1999 Hayward's Heath Mineral Show (Sussex, England), Manchester University Museum exhibited an exceptionally large example of harmotome. Crystallized all over in small harmotome crystals to several millimetres, it was additionally profusely studded with larger crystals and formed an impressive mound, approaching 2 feet long, 16 inches wide and about 12 inches high.
Perhaps the best from the locality for the species!

Originally part of a ceiling in the mine, a certain amount of personal risk and a laborious haul of the weighty piece from the mine into daylight was involved in its extraction. The collecting team, including a Museum member, maintained their good fortune as the specimen was undamaged after being dislodged from its precarious position.

HARMOTOME -Clashgorm Mine, Strontian, Argyll.
(crystals to c 4 mms.)

BREWSTERITE - Whitesmith Mine, Strontian, Argyll.
above - crystals to 5 mms over matrix. (c 75x55 mms);
right - multiple-twinned, hexagonal prisms to 3mms.

BREWSTERITE - Whitesmith Mine, Strontian, Argyll, SCOTLAND.
Typical hexagonal crystals. c10x7mms view.

Calcite is found in several forms... rhombic, "dog-tooth", discoidal, flos-ferri... and it occurs with all the other species found at the locality.
Though perhaps far from being world-beaters, they can nonetheless make for very good specimens.

A more recent find of calcite has been of deep amber, interlocking, rhombic crystal groups. Some of these crystals can display an interesting internal light play.

The specimens also fluoresce, though they do so as a rather dull, unattractive, tan-brown colour in Long Wave Ultra-Violet light. The cause of the colouring of these calcites is unknown at present.

The calcite crystals on these groups may also have a partial peppering of tiny harmotome and/or brewsterite micro-crystals embedded on their surface.

left - CALCITE - Strontian, Argyll, SCOTLAND.
(spec- c60x40mms).
Hexagonal crystals to c 6mms with a partial peppering of micro pyrite crystals. The form of these calcites almost completely conceals that of a previous "dog-tooth" habit which it has overgrown.

Crystal drawings of some of Strontian's most typical mineral species.