STGA Blue Badge Training Course

Physical Environment and Landscape Interpretation

Rationale

This is one of the four Scottish Tourist Guide Association Core Knowledge courses that equip you with a broad understanding of the physical, cultural, archaeological and historical character of Scotland. These courses cover a broad and diverse range of subject areas and knowledge necessary for effective tourist guiding. This course will enable you to interpret landscape and explain the physical environment of Scotland. Core Knowledge Courses are taught via face to face lectures at the University of Edinburgh, with each lecture supported by notes and information online, and field visits.

Aims and Objectives

• To examine the factors involved in the formation of the wide range of natural landscapes to be found in Scotland
• Assess the interaction between people and the environment which contain features from a variety of periods - the remains of past landscapes.
• To survey the 3,000,000-year evolution of the earth's crust under Scotland and the influence of its various rocks on the development of landscape.
• Gain an understanding of physical processes involved in shaping landscape and the influence of human activities
• Through an understanding of the general principles involved in the formation of landscapes they will develop the ability to interpret the elements of the landscape around them

Transferable skills

In addition to the critical thinking and writing skills, this course will give you an opportunity to practice analytical and synthesising skills that could be profitably deployed in the study of humanities and social science subjects as well as in professional guiding. You will need to evaluate various approaches to, and explanations of, different types of evidence, and make critical choices between them, and you will also get some experience in collecting and synthesising evidence from primary and secondary sources.

Assessment for this course (please see Assessment information about weightings and policies)

2 x In-class assessments
Physical Environment - slide quiz
Landscape Interpretation - slide quiz
AND
1 x 2000 word essay in EITHER Physical Environment OR Landscape Interpretation

D. Contents of the course

Physical Environment - Course Content

• Introduction to geology, geological time and the processes that form the landscape
  Plate tectonics and the geology of Scotland - introduction to the main episodes that have formed Scotland's rocks
• Geology field trip to Holyrood Park
• Rocks of the Northwest Highlands
• Metamorphic rocks of the Highlands
• Volcanoes and granite plutons in the Highlands
• Rocks of the Southern Uplands
• The Midland Valley
• Synthesis - why are Scotland's rocks so varied?
• Unseen Assessment and Essay Consultation

Physical Environment - Bibliography

Gillen C. (2003) Geology and Landscapes of Scotland Terra Publishing

Mackey E. (1996) The Natural Heritage of Scotland: an Overview Scottish Natural Heritage

Mackey, E. C. (1995) The Natural Heritage of Scotland: an overview. SNH Publications

Mckirdy A. & R. Crofts (1999) Scotland: the Creation of its Natural Landscape Scottish Natural Heritage

Landscape Interpretation - Course Content

• Settlements in the North of Scotland
• Settlements in the South of Scotland
• Landscape Interpretation field trip - Arthur’s Seat
• Geology in the North of Scotland
• Geology in the South of Scotland
• Unseen Assessment and Essay Consultation