EVERY two years the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials organises open days to provide an opportunity for thousands of visitors to explore the world of minerals and discover more about an industry that affects every aspect of our daily lives.
Last month Lochaline Quartz Sand Ltd welcomed and hospitably entertained a cross-section of the local community, the Health and Safety Executive team, the Forestry Commission as well as present and former employees and their families to the first European Minerals Day at the mine and to help them celebrate the fifth anniversary of acquiring it from Tarmac.
The Lochaline mine produces high quality silica sand with low iron content and exceptional whiteness. It was first identified in 1895, when a huge deposit of white cretaceous sandstone running north from the entrance of Loch Aline in an 18ft seam was discovered.