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He’s a rockstar – but while Bob Dylan, Prince, and Janis Joplin will be remembered for their music, 86-year-old Harry Young is proving that it’s never too late to chase your passions. In February 2024, the amateur geologist went viral after his grandson Harry Jeffries posted photos of Young and his geologically accurate rock map of Scotland to Twitter/X.

An intricate, handmade masterpiece, the rock map uses stones and pebbles collected over 30 years of geology trips and spans Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Portee (it also includes the Isle of Bencecula, too!) Since then, that post has amassed 6.3 million views and 159,000 likes.




Young began the map in 1992 with a simple artistic vision: to be geologically correct and aesthetically pleasing. Over the next 30 years, he embarked on various journeys throughout Scotland, collecting gemstones and picking up pebbles, before placing the map's final rock in 2020 during the pandemic. Four years later, in honor of his 85th birthday, Young’s family framed the iconic rock map and gifted it to him.

“I’d never seen [a rock map], so I just started collecting area by area,” Young told BBC Scotland News in 2024. “Every rock you see on that map, I went to that place and collected it.”

Young’s rock map of Scotland absolutely exploded over the internet, garnering thousands of comments praising him for his artistic vision, including “superb – it’s unique, much like Scotland itself,” and “[He] did a wonderful job and I greatly admire his talent and dedication. Beautiful!” Young, who resides in Newton Mearns in East Renfrewshire, fell in love with amateur geology when a co-worker at the Clyde River Purification Board returned from America and gave him a few fossils as a present in the ‘90s.

But now, he’s no longer an “amateur.” In July 2024, Young loaned his map to The Geological Society of London, which premiered “Harry Young’s Rock Map of Scotland” as a free exhibition at Burlington House. To celebrate the map, the Geological Society also held a series of special events, in an effort to “encourage more children, young people and adults to engage with geoscience (and science more generally)” – including a webinar led by Harry, who spoke about his inspirations, the memories from his many geology trips, and how creativity in science can inspire and encourage people from all walks of life.



The map, which was on display at Burlington House until October, was placed next to William Smith’s 1815 geological map of England and Wales (which is considered to be the first geological map of a complete country ever made) and a reproduction of John MacCulloch’s 1840 geological map of Scotland (the first map to ever use data collected from an official survey and to be published by the government), and reminds us of what can be achieved with minimal resources when we appreciate the world around us.

And for many, Young is a beacon of hope. Instead of doubting ourselves and filling our heads with negative thoughts like ‘No, it’s too late for me,’ or ‘What if I fail?,' Young's story provides an alternative: rock-solid proof that even if it takes you 30 years, you can still achieve your dreams. Or, as one commenter puts it, "tell your grandad he rocks."

As it turns out, he’s also a shrewd entrepreneur: you can buy mugs, prints, and puzzles adorned with Young’s rock map of Scotland on his online store.


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Visit TikTok to discover videos!

An unexpected confrontation caught on camera

Footage captured by a doorbell camera shows three young girls screaming and running inside as the HOA head approaches their house. Moments later, she rings the doorbell, and their father answers. Wasting no time, she immediately makes her demand:

"So, I am going to ask you to keep them inside," she says.

Clearly puzzled, the father responds with a simple but firm question:

"For what reason?"

Her reasoning? Multiple noise complaints from irritated neighbors.

"I have like 10 houses now contacting me. They are like barking at me and running," she explains.

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At first, the father tries to reason with her, explaining that his daughters are just playing outside, as kids do. But as the conversation continues, his patience wears thin.

"That's what's wrong with this world because people like you and those other people don't let kids be kids, okay?" he says, his frustration growing.

Not interested in further debate, he firmly ends the conversation with:

"We appreciate you stopping by. Have a nice night."

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The video, captioned "HOA president gets mad at girls for playing," quickly took off online, with thousands of viewers chiming in on both sides of the argument.

TikTok reacts: Is the dad right, or was the HOA head reasonable?

The viral clip sparked a heated discussion, with some siding with the father and others sympathizing with the HOA president.

Some viewers believed the HOA head was being overly strict and that kids should be free to play outdoors.

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Others, however, thought the volume level mattered—especially if the noise was disturbing residents at night.

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"She was being respectful and came to reason with him instead of calling the police after getting so many complaints. It’s nighttime… people work in the morning."

Some commenters saw both sides but noted that ten different households complaining was significant.


"Not looking for a fight, but when 10 different households send a noise complaint, that’s a problem. We don’t know what noises they are making, so I can’t really take a side here."
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Meanwhile, @martin_arce acknowledged the HOA head’s position, writing:

"I wouldn’t be rude to her though. His neighbors demand it from her, and she’s gotta do it as her responsibility. And also, your neighbors’ demands aren’t unreasonable."


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