On the rocky shores of the Isle of Skye, where Bonnie Prince Charlie once sought refuge after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, scientists have uncovered an even older story—one dating back 167 million years. At a site now known as Prince Charles’s Point, researchers from the University of Edinburgh have identified 131 fossilized dinosaur footprints, revealing a snapshot of life during the Middle Jurassic period.
These discoveries show that carnivorous megalosaurs, early relatives of Tyrannosaurus rex, and enormous plant-eating sauropods once roamed the same landscape, gathering around a shallow freshwater lagoon much like modern animals at watering holes. The study, published in the journal PLOS One, sheds light on a poorly understood era in dinosaur evolution.
A Unique Glimpse into the Jurassic Period
According to lead researcher Tone Blakesley, the footprints are remarkable because they provide insight into dinosaur behavior rather than just anatomy. “It’s very much a tranquil snapshot of dinosaurs gathering, perhaps to drink or move between vegetated areas,” Blakesley explained. “The plant-eating dinosaurs were at that point not under any immediate threat from the predators.”
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The discovery includes footprints left by both meat-eating theropods and long-necked sauropods. The theropod prints, about 18 inches (45 cm) long, feature three toes, sharp claws, and visible muscle pads, while the sauropod prints, slightly larger at 20 inches (50 cm) across, are rounder and sometimes preserve impressions of four short, triangular toes. The researchers estimate that at least two dozen individual dinosaurs left these tracks.
Who Left These Footprints?
Though exact species identification is difficult, the tracks provide important clues. The meat-eaters belonged to a group called theropods, likely from the megalosaur family. One possibility is Megalosaurus, a 20-foot-long (6-meter) predator that lived about 100 million years before T. rex. This dinosaur, one of the first ever identified by scientists, was named in 1824. The plant-eating dinosaurs were sauropods—massive, long-necked creatures that moved on four sturdy legs. One likely candidate is Cetiosaurus, a giant measuring about 52 feet (16 meters) long.
Scotland’s Rich Fossil Heritage
The footprints were found in what was once a vast river estuary surrounded by lush Jurassic forests of conifers, tree ferns, and ginkgoes, resembling some modern ecosystems. The theropods and sauropods preferred the lagoonal areas, while other dinosaurs—such as stegosaurs and ornithopods—roamed drier landscapes.
Skye has long been known as a treasure trove for fossils. Over the past 40 years, significant discoveries have included a pony-sized dinosaur that lived 166 million years ago and the fossilized remains of Krusatodon, a shrew-like mammal. In 2022, paleontologists also uncovered the largest Jurassic pterosaur ever found, Dearc sgiathanach, a 170-million-year-old flying reptile.
Uncovering the Footprints
The first tracks at Prince Charles’s Point were discovered five years ago by a University of Edinburgh student. Since then, repeated expeditions have revealed the full extent of the site. Researchers used drone technology to capture thousands of images, which were processed through photogrammetry to create 3D models of the footprints.
“It looks like someone has pressed the pause button,” Blakesley said. “It’s a surreal feeling to see these footprints with my own eyes, to be able to put my hand in the sole of these footprints. You close your eyes, the tides wash back, and you are in the mid-Jurassic. It’s a spine-tingling feeling.” The findings suggest that these dinosaurs regularly gathered in shallow waters. Overlapping footprints even indicate that theropods may have walked within sauropod trackways, following in the footsteps of their massive plant-eating neighbors.
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The research has also drawn attention to an unexpected historical connection. Bonnie Prince Charlie, a key figure in Scotland’s Jacobite history, fled across Skye in 1746, unknowingly treading in the footsteps of dinosaurs. “When the prince was running for his life, he was running on the footsteps of Jurassic dinosaurs,” said palaeontologist Steve Brusatte. “He wouldn’t have known what a dinosaur was, as the word hadn’t been invented then, but I do wonder if he looked down and saw these big holes in the rock with finger and toe impressions and wondered what they might be.”