The Assynt district of Sutherland has long been recognised as a jewel in the crown of Scottish geology; and in October 2004 the North-west Highlands, of which Assynt forms an integral part, was accorded Geopark status by the European Geopark Network.
The 2nd edition of Assynt: The Geologists' Mecca is an account of the illustrious history of research in the district which formed the foundations of our modern understanding of Assynt's geology. The book describes the British Association's famous excursion to Assynt in September 1912, led by Drs. Ben Peach and John Horne of the Geological Survey of Great Britain (now the British Geological Survey). It was attended by thirty geologists, including many of the foremost international authorities of the day on mountain-building processes. Brief biographies of these notable geologists are included in Assynt: The Geologists' Mecca.