Late Devensian and Holocene relative sea level and environmental changes from an isolation basin in southern Skye

Detailed lithostratigraphical and biostratigraphical studies from an isolat ion basin at Inver Aulavaig on the Sleat Peninsula, Isle of Skye, Scotland, disclose changing environmental conditions during the Late Devensian and H olocene. In particular, they reveal three marine transgressions at the site since the Late Devensian, when the sea crossed the rock threshold at +5.10 mOD. The radiocarbon dates obtained may incorporate hard water errors, but are considered broadly indicative of the ages of these events. The earlies t event recorded at Inver Aulavaig, took place prior to c. 12600 C-14 BP an d probably occurred soon after deglaciation as relative sea levels rose whi le the area was isostatically depressed. The second, which occurred between 8850+/-170 and 5440+/-50 C-14 BP, is correlated with the Main Postglacial Transgression. The third, which briefly took place between the statisticall y indistinguishable dates of 3160+/-40 and 3070+/-60 C-14 BP is believed to correlate with a widespread transgression recorded at several sites around the periphery of the Scottish glacio-isostatic uplift centre. The results would also appear to indicate that relative sea level in this area during t he Younger Dryas did not exceed +5.10 mOD.