The old Marble quarry on the isle of Iona,Inner Hebrides,Isle of Mull,Western Scotland,Britain,UK.
Today there is a small inlet on the south east of the island called The Marble Quarry. This was named after a (perhaps fortunately) failed enterprise by the Argyll Quarry Company in the 1800s, which hoped to extract the stone and ship it from the island on an industrial scale. The remote and rocky location proved too hazardous for shipping, and today all that remains in the small inlet are the very rusted remains of a large winch and cable, looking both incongruous and almost ghostly against the backdrop of the sea. Since the 18th century small polished pieces of Iona Marble have been much prized by both collectors and jewellers. During the Victorian era especially, when Scottish jewellery became very fashionable due to Queen Victoria’s visits to and interest in the Highlands and Islands, jewellers made brooches and pendants incorporating polished sections of the green and white stone. Natural and stained Scottish agate was also much used, but Iona Marble will always be unique, and can be easily distinguished from the former stones by its beautiful green and white colouring
Size: 5700px × 3800px
Location: The old Marble quarry on the isle of Iona,Inner Hebrides,Isle of Mull,Western Scotland,Britain,UK.
Photo credit: © Neil Dangerfield / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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