Isle of Skye Dinosaur Tracks – Isle of Skye, Scotland - Atlas Obscura

Isle of Skye Dinosaur Tracks

On this stunning Scottish island, you can walk in the footsteps of dinosaurs.  

400
1899

The past is vast on the Isle of Skye. Ruined castles that are hundreds of years old stand atop an unusual topography shaped by glaciers during the last Ice Age. But the land holds traces of an even more ancient past as well.

Before the dinosaurs died out, they roamed this breathtaking stretch of land. Fortunately, you can still find marks of their presence in a few places on the island.

Sometimes the footprints are hard to find because the tide covers them with seaweed or sand, so you may have to scour about a little. Once you find one, you will soon see the others and be able to connect with these amazing, lost creatures.

There are a few places to find the dinosaur prints on the Isle of Skye. On An Corran, you can see prints on rocks not far from the ramp. These three-toed prints belonged to a family of ornithopods, which were two-legged herbivores. You can also visit Score Bay to see prints from sauropods, which are from the same family as brontosaurus and diplodocus. These tracks are about 170 million years old. Some of these footprints are quite big, and it’s believed to be the largest dinosaur trackway in Scotland.

Know Before You Go

The footsteps are free to visit and can only be seen at low tide, so check with tourist information services regarding tide times. Sometimes the rocks can be slippery if covered in seaweed, so take care.

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