The Glenkens Story local history group will be plunging into the deep past at
its next meeting to discover what happened the last time Galloway
experienced global warming.
Twelve thousand years ago the glaciers covering this area were melting and
on Sunday 26th May the history group will be hearing geologist Alan Gibbs
explain the impact this has had on life here ever since.
While we think of glaciation in terms of the erosion of high mountains –
corries, fjords, U-shaped valleys etc. – this is not the really interesting bit of
the story in Galloway,” says Alan. Here it’s about the gravels and rubble left
behind as the sheet ice melts. This is what shaped the landscape we have
lived in ever since.” Expect to hear of drumlins, eskers and other ancient
features we pass by every day.
I spent a career as a geologist telling stories in space and time to anyone
who would listen” adds Alan, who comes from Annan. I worked initially as an
academic and then as commercial consultant heading a software modelling
team working on projects globally.”
He has also addressed more recent history, working with his family in restoring a tower house.
In the last 10 years The Glenkens Story programme has spanned many
eras,” says Mike Brown, one of the groups organisers. In 2022 we staged a
conference on the Early Peoples of Galloway, starting with the first hunter
gatherers who arrived at the end of the last Ice Age. We did not expect to
delve even further back but Alans lecture will explain much of our
subsequent history.”
Alan Gibbs talk on Drumlin Swarms and Beaded Eskers: what happened to
Galloway at the last global warming?” will be held at CatStrand, New
Galloway, at 3pm on Sunday 26th May. Tickets £10 (U26 £4) are available
from www.gcat.scotand and 01644 420 374
