Dinosaur footprints discovered on Scottish island

Most of the prints were made by the “older cousins” of Tyrannosaurus rex, called theropods and by similarly sized long-necked sauropods. The dinosaurs stand up to 2m tall.

They are the second set of dinosaur footprints found on Skye.

The first were discovered in 2015, although the latest findings were made in older rocks.

The discovery is considered to be globally important as it is rare evidence of the Middle Jurassic period from which few fossil sites have been uncovered around the world.

Dr Steve Brusatte, from the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences who led the field team, said: “The more we look on the Isle of Skye, the more dinosaur footprints we find.

“This new site records two different types of dinosaurs – long-necked cousins of Brontosaurus and sharp-toothed cousins of T-rex – hanging around a shallow lagoon back when Scotland was much warmer and dinosaurs were beginning their march to global dominance.”

Researchers measured, photographed and analysed about 50 footprints in a tidal area at Brothers’ Point, also known as Rubha nam Brathairean – a dramatic headland on Skye’s Trotternish peninsula.

The largest of the embed marks are 70cm across and left by a sauropod, while the largest theropod track was about 50cm across. Tidal conditions made studying the footprints difficult, as well as the impact of weathering and changes to the landscape.

However, scientists still managed to identify two trackways in addition to many isolated footprints.

Researchers used drone photographs to make a map of the site. Additional images were collected using a paired set of cameras and tailored software to help model the prints.

Analysis of the clearest prints, including the overall shape of the track outline, the shape and orientation of the toes and the presence of claws, allowed scientists to determine they belonged to sauropods and theropods.

Paige dePolo, who helped lead the study, said: “It was found in rocks that were slightly older than those previously found at Duntulm on the island.”