Every so often, if one is lucky, one comes across something special, an idea or opportunity. The first trick is to recognise it, the second to do something about it. In 1980 when we were first introduced to these wonderful cobbles and pebbles from the Cays Briggs quarry, the first part was quite self-evident. The quarry had been developed for sand needed for a major contract at the nearby military airport, the cobbles being left behind, not much use for concrete or road building. But what a beautiful product – just what the landscape industry needed and ideal to use with boulders and rocks of most igneous types. The quarry owners agreed to produce some material and CED set out to market it. It was not long before these delightful cobbles and pebbles became the industry standard. Indeed they are of truly international quality, almost always smooth and well-rounded without needing hand-selection.
The quarry lies within an extensive deposit which was initially transported from a wide area of the north-central Highlands by a post-glacial river system as the continental ice-sheet and glaciers melted at the end of the last ice-age some 10,000 to 9,000 years ago. This glacioalluvial material was transported westwards by longshore drift along the coast. With the removal of the enormous weight of ice, the land rose isostatically. Although the mean sea-level was also rising, the land rose even faster.. This resulted in the formation of successive strand-lines or “raised beaches”, which stretch inland from the present southern shore of the Moray Firth.
The deposit comprises exceptionally well-rounded cobbles and pebbles sized between 150mm and 4mm in diameter. When dry these are predominantly light greys with hints of pink and other hues; when wet these multi-pastel tints are accentuated.
The story of the materials formation is a fascinating trip through geological time, bringing together igneous and metamorphic rocks through ice action, rivers and tumbling on the beach. These stones now adorn many a landscape and private garden, treasured and appreciated in the UK and abroad.
The Quarry is now owned by Tarmac Caledonian Ltd who have entrusted the national sales and marketing of this material to CED Ltd and we are very proud to continue developing the use of this material, as we have done for over twenty years.
