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Revealed: The mineralogical marvel that is Rockall

Well, we always knew Rockall was special, but it wasn't until we received an illuminating email from Dr. J.W.Faithfull, who is Curator in Geology at the Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow, that we realised just how special the sacred rock is.

According to Dr Faithfull, Rockall is made of granite. But not just any old run-of-the-mill, common or garden granite. No, Rockall's granite is highly unusual. It's called peralkaline, which is abnormally rich in sodium and other exotic elements such as zirconium.

Dr Faithfull explains that most granites are made of quartz, feldspar and mica, with smaller amounts of things like zircon, apatite and titanite.

However, Rockall granite contains several "rare weirdo mineral species" not normally found in the UK, including elpidite, leucophosphite, eudialyte and pyrochlore. And if that wasn't enough, it was on Rockall that a mineral species previously unknown to science — bazirite — was first discovered in 1975.

Apparently, bazirite has since turned up in a couple of locations around the globe, including California and, most agreeably, Tajikistan, but it remains much rarer than diamond. Enough said.

So there you have it. Proof, were it needed, that Britain's remotest outcrop can add geological marvel to its list of accolades, along side sun-kissed holiday paradise and political hot potato.

Those of you of a scientific bent can read the first description of bazirite in the Mineralogical Magazine (Vol 42 p 35-40). Further info on the exotic mineral is available here.

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