The Isle of Skye has some incredibly well-preserved fossilised dinosaur footprints - finding them is a great reminder of the giant beasts which once walked the earth and a fun family activity.
The easiest and most accessible place to see dinosaur footprints is An Corran Beach near the village of Staffin. You can park at the beach, and it's just a short walk down the slipway to find the section of rock with the best examples of footprints. To find the footprints, turn right at the bottom of the slipway and search along the flat shelf of rock that runs southwestward.
Of course, tides and weather can vary, so it's best to plan your visit at low tide, and you may find the footprints obscured by sand in certain weather conditions. There's also a Dinosaur Museum at Staffin, where you can learn about the creatures who left these footprints and how they were discovered.
Here at The Tartan Road, we design bespoke luxury holidays in Scotland. We're passionate about this small country, and we think it's one of the best places in the world to go on vacation.
Brothers' Point
Brothers' Point (Rubha nam Brathairean in Gaelic), just a few miles south of Staffin, is the site of a more recently-discovered collection of dinosaur footprints on Skye. A storm revealed these splendid examples in 2020, so this is new and very exciting. The best way to get to Brother's point is the short walk down from the hamlet of Culnacnoc to the beach (take care as the track can be muddy if it's wet). You'll find yourself on the beach among the footprints. There are some detailed directions on the Walkhighlands site here. There's no parking at the beach so it's a minimum of a 1.5 mile (2.5km) walk to the site, making it much less accessible than the one at Staffin.
The footprints found at Staffin were from herbivorous sauropods. However, the discovery near Brother's Point has been confirmed as dating back to the Middle Jurassic Period. Along with similar prints from four-legged sauropods to those found at Staffin, it also established the presence of meat eaters on the island as their distinctive three-clawed tracks can be seen. This discovery vastly expanded knowledge and thinking on the range of dinosaur species which lived in the area.
Trotternish
Another great place to follow in the footsteps of dinosaurs is Score Bay in the far north of the Trotternish peninsula near Duntulm Castle. We recommend calling in at the museum in Staffin first to get the latest advice on conditions and where to go before setting off on your search for dinosaur footprints!