Not many people will find a nugget this size, but almost everyone who pans for gold in the Leadhills of Scotland will come home with a few small grains or flakes of gold, and it is such an enjoyable day out! NB: License required: you can buy a day license from the Leadhills Miners museum, or take a full day guided panning trip, with all equipment provided.
Scotland's largest gold nugget goes on display - BBC News
My own finds were more modest, but I wasn’t expecting to become a millionaire overnight: there is plenty of hard graft in gold panning, but with a friendly team, and under expert guidance, it is a fun day out. These were our shared spoils: and even split between us, we all came home with some of the real stuff to hoard and brag about.
Nice work, for a day!
So, you can use a tray like this to sift the gravel into heavy and light parts .
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Or a small round pan, like this … swirling the fine gravel round and round carefully, so that the small flakes catch in the fine ridges ..
But whatever you decide
it is fun to get down and dirty … even using scrapers and small tools to dig out the wee crevices where the gold lurks.
And then, after a good day, enjoy and share the spoils, equally..
And if you are lucky, see a few red kite or grey wagtails: this is not all about loot, it is also about immersion in Scotland’s landscape. Taking time out, to watch and observe small things.
Fancy a try? You can: here
The Leadhills Museum: a not for profit society, offer a five hour course costing £95.00 per person + £10.00 for your day gold panning licence