{"id":31922,"date":"2023-11-13T09:13:34","date_gmt":"2023-11-13T08:13:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/66cd1436-bd47-4612-8631-9458222afe4e"},"modified":"2023-11-13T10:39:31","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T09:39:31","slug":"the-most-dramatic-volcanoes-in-britain-discover-7-mountains-with-explosive-pasts","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/the-most-dramatic-volcanoes-in-britain-discover-7-mountains-with-explosive-pasts\/","title":{"rendered":"The most dramatic volcanoes in Britain: discover 7 mountains with explosive pasts"},"content":{"rendered":"

It has been around 60 million years since there was an active volcano in the UK, but remnants of these explosive landforms can be found throughout the countryside… <\/p>

By Carys Matthews\n <\/p>

Published: Monday, 13 November 2023 at 08:13 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Britain may not be in the Ring of Fire, but things were quite different around 60 million years ago. Today, remnants of huge volcanoes dot the landscape. You may be surprised to find that you’ve already hiked up some of them.<\/p>

Read on to discover seven of Britain’s most incredible extinct volcanoes, from Snowdon<\/a> and Ben Nevis<\/a> to the Isle of Skye<\/a>‘s Black Cuillin.<\/p>

Hikers make their way to the summit of Snowdon, once an active volcano\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>

What is a volcano?<\/h2>

A volcano is created when there is a rupture in the surface of the planet, which causes volcanic ash, hot lava, volcanic ash, and natural gases to escape from the opening in the magma chamber and through the Earth’s crust. This crust is made up of rigid tectonic plates that lay on top of a hotter, softer layer in the mantle.<\/p>

Many of the UK’s mountainous areas, such as the Lake District were formed through volcanic activity more than 300 million years ago. When magma reaches the surface of the Earth it is called lava, which when it cools forms rock.<\/p>

7 extinct volcanoes of the British Isles<\/h2>

Cuillin Hills, Isle of Skye<\/h3>
\"Cuillin
The highest mountain in the Cuillin Range is Sgurr Alasdair 992 m\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The Cuillin Hills on Skye are considered by many to be the most dramatic mountains in the UK. If they look fearsome now, imagine what they must have been like at the height of their lava-spewing life in the early Paleogene era, around 65 million years ago. The Black Cuillin Mountain itself is a particularly awe-inducing sight, making it the most impressive former volcano on these islands.<\/p>