The top 9 m of Lower Hartfell Shale has been collected in 10 cm samples through a continuous sequence on the North Cliff at Dob's Linn. The boundary between the Dicranograptus clingani and Pleurograptus linearis zones is denned for the first time in a measured section, 5.0 m below the top of the Lower Hartfell Shale, with the excavation of the North Cliff proposed as stratotype. The late D. clingani Zone is characterised by Dicranograptus ramosus?, Dicellograptus moffatensis, D. flexuosus [= D. forchhammeri], Climacograptus dorotheus, Glyptograptus daviesi sp. nov., Diplograptus? pilatus sp. nov., Neurograptus margaritatus and Corynoides calicularis. The P. linearis Zone is characterised by Pleurograptus linearis linearis, Amphigraptus divergens divergens, Leptograptus capillaris, Dicellograptus elegans elegans, D. pumilis, D. carruthersi and Climacograptus tubuliferus. A range chart is provided and an attempt is made at a revised correlation of the Scottish succession with coeval zonal sequences in North America and Australia. Twenty-one taxa are described including the two new species noted above.