Abstract: James Hutton (1726-l797), a Scotsman famous in the annals ofGeology, has been considered by many as ihe founder of modern geology.It was Hutton who was responsible for the concept that the present is thekey to the past. This concept may not be literally true in its entirety, but noone can deny that it has been successfully applied to the solition of manygeological problems: Hutton`s theory was first published in 1785 in a communication to the Royal Society of Edinburgh. It was republished in twovolumes in 1895. Hutton`s views did not become well known, however, until 1802, when John Playfair, Professor of Mathematics in Edinburgh University, published a volume called Illustrations of the Huttonian Theory ofthe Earth. PIayfair`s aim was to explain Hutton`s views in a clearer mannerthan Hutton himself had done. Playfair was highly successful in this, andthe theory as we know it, is largely due to his writings.Being a Scot, it seems fitting that in my first talk to the new GeologicalSociety of Turkey, I should say something about certain aspects of geological research in Scotland ,and Turkey which seem to bear comparison. I shallrestrict my remarks, however, to one phenomenon in each country. Thephenomena chosen are of much more than local interest, ,and the study ofthe one may throw light on the study of the other.I shall take this opportunity of discussing the Scottish phenomenain a little detail. Like my Turkish colleagues I also suffer from the extremedifficulty of getting literature, and the probIems that I shall discuss may benew to some of you.The geological interpretation of the structure of ancient volcanoes inScotland, as the detailed studies of the officers of the Geologieal Survey, issuch that it could nol very well be made on modern / geologically recent volcanoes. In other words these studies illustrate the opposite of Hutton`sfamous thesis, the interpretation of the present from studies of the past.The essential features of Scotland are very largely controlled by Caledonian mountain structures, although the country has undergone many vicissitudes since the far-off days when these mountains were formed. Turkey,on the otherhand, is geologically a comparatively new country in whichthe controlling features are due to Alpine movements, wich are only nowslowly dying down.In both countries we find Tertiary volcanoes. In Scotland, these volcanoes are the most important relies of the period, ,and because they havebeen highly eroded ,and dissected, ,and their stumps carefully studied, theyhave acquired an importance of the first magnitude in geological science.In Turkey, on the other hand, first place must be given in the make-up ofthe country to the Tertiary fold mountains. Let us, therefore, discuss ,and, ifpossible compare, Tertiary volcanoes in Scotland with Tertiary mountainsin Turkey. It seems a very unorthodox comparison but let us make the attempt.