Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 July 2012
The limestone to be described occurs in two separate areas (fig. 1)—one in Lower Deeside around Banchory, another in Middle Deeside around Aboyne. The whole of the Banchory and a large part of the Aboyne outcrops provide limestone types in a high grade of regional metamorphism (the associated schists contain sillimanite). In the latter outcrop the limestone has undergone thermal metamorphism at the contacts with Newer Granite intrusions. Many of the resulting hornfelses have suffered hydrothermal alterations with development of prehnite and zeolites. Newer Granite pegmatites, intruded at the time of hornfelsing, share in this hornfelsing and later hydrothermal modifications. In addition, they exercise exopneumatolytic and exohydrothermal metamorphism. Quite local metamorphisms take place at hornblende-schist and Older Granite contacts.