New evidence on the origin and Jurassic age of palaeokarst and limestone breccias, Loch Slapin, Isle of Skye

A limestone breccia which is interpreted as a palaeokarst fill of early Jurassic age, is described from Southern Skye, lying above the Durness Limestone Group and below the Broadford Formation, as previously defined. Such breccias have been described from parts of the Camas Malag Formation and where they are overlain directly by Jurassic limestones, these are now assigned to the Broadford Formation.

For the first time, direct biostratigraphical evidence is presented for the age of these limestone breccias here, where they overlie and partly fill a palaeokarst surface on the Durness Limestone. Faunal evidence also demonstrates that their deposition occurred under fully marine conditions. The Triassic age previously assigned to the Camas Malag Formation is rejected and, at its type locality, this Formation is assigned an early Jurassic age.