Crag and tail
A crag is a rocky hill or mountain, generally isolated from other high ground.
Origin
Crags are formed when a glacier or ice sheet passes over an area that contains a particularly resistant rock formation. The force of the glacier erodes the surrounding softer material, leaving the rocky block protruding from the surrounding terrain. Frequently the crag serves as a partial shelter to softer material in the wake of the glacier, which remains as a gradual fan or ridge forming a tapered ramp up the leeward side of the crag.In older examples, or those latterly surrounded by the sea, the tail is often missing, having been removed by post-glacial erosion.
Examples
Examples of crag and tail formations include:- Castle Rock and the Royal Mile, in Edinburgh, Scotland
- Salisbury Crags and Arthur's Seat, in Edinburgh
- North Berwick Law, in North Berwick, Scotland
- Three in or near Stirling, Scotland, including the rock on which Stirling Castle stands
- "Scrabo Hill" in Newtownards, Northern Ireland, site of the Scrabo Tower
- Ailsa Craig, famous for curling stone mining
- Crag and tail features have been identified on the Amundsen Sea continental shelf off West Antarctica.