Butterhole Quarry, Craignair near Dalbeattie. Grand Diorite left, Hornfels (altered sediments) right

These photographs show a group examining rocks at Butterhole Quarry, Craignair, near Dalbeattie. The granite quarry at Craignair  was opened by the Trustees of Liverpool Dock in the 1820s in order to build their harbour.   Taken from "A Photographic Record of a Holiday in Dumfriesshire & Kirkcudbrightshire (with one or two views outside) August 1937". This photograph album was compiled by  H D Hewitt, 9th January 1938.  The group of people pictured are of a learned society, probably a geology group - who spent their time on field excursions to local places of geological significance.   Granite is very hard and resistant to weathering. In Victorian times the granite from quarries such as Craignair, was of such high quality that it was in demand both for buildings and monuments. Galloway granite was also used for kerbstones and setts or cobble stones throughout Britain. These granite setts were exported widely - as far afield as Argentina and Russia.