[Iain Macaonghais – Preseantair] Nise. Tha dòchas gun toir lorgan-coise dìneasaran a th’ air a thighinn am follais às ùr ann an taobh tuath an Eilean Sgiathanaich, sealladh nas fhèarr dhuinn air beatha nan dìneasaran as motha. Chaidh na ceudan lorgan-coise a’ lorg aig Dùn Tuilm, a’ chiad ceuman de sheòrsa a chaidh lorg air feadh Alba. Seo cuideachd an làrach dìneasar as motha a fhuaras anns an dùthaich air fad. Shiubhal Calum MacIlleathain air ais tro thìm dhuinne.
[Calum MacIlleathain – Neach-aithris] Tha an t-Eilean Sgitheanach air cliù a chosnadh thairis na bliadhnaichean mar sàr àite far am faighear lorg air fianais de dhìneasaran. Tha fosailean agus lorgan coise air nochdadh roimhe seo. Ach b’e na lorgan-coise a chaidh an toirt am follais air a’ chladach aig Dùn Thuilm, a’ chiad lorgan de lus-itheadairean a-riamh ann an Alba. ‘S iad PalAlba – buidheann de eòlaichean a bhios a’ sgrùdadh fosailean, a thàinig tarsainn air na lorgan as t-samhradh am-bliadhna.
[Dùghall Ros] Sin agad fear dhe na lorgan agus ‘s e eisimpleir glè mhath a tha sin airson chì sinn cumadh aig na h-ìnean.
[Calum MacIlleathain – Neach-aithris] Ach, ‘s e fosailean fhèin a bha a’ bhuidheann a’ bhuidheann a’ sireadh air a’ chladach. Cha robh iad idir an dùil gum biodh lorgan-coise ann.
[Dùghall Ros] Ghabh sinn iongnadh mòr nuair a chunnaic sinn iad airson tha mi smaoineachadh gu bheil na lorgan sin follaiseach o chionn grunn bhliadhnaichean. Ach bha iad gu math doirbh an dèanamh a-mach ach aon uair ‘s gun do aithnich sinn dè bh’ unnta bha sinn a’ faicinn barrachd is barrachd as dèidh sin.
[Calum MacIlleathain – Neach-aithris] Ged ‘s e clachan a th’ air a’ chladach seo an-diugh, nuair a choisich dìneasaran an seo o chionn milleanan bhliadhnaichean, ‘s e pol bog a bha ann. Agus ‘s e sin a tha air fàgail gu bheil na lorgan fhathast rim faicinn an-diugh.
[Calum MacIlleathain – Neach-aithris] Bha na dìneasaran a choisich aig Dùn Thuilm càirdeach dha leithid am Brontosaurus agus Diplodocus. Bhiodh iad air fàs gu co-dhiù 15 meatair a dh’ fhaide agus còrr is 10 thunna de chuideam unnta. Rinn eòlaichean aig Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann sgrùdadh gus dearbhadh gur e lorgan-coise lus-itheadairean a bh’ unnta dha-rìribh.
[Dùghall Ros] Tha fios againn gur e lus-itheadairean a dh’ fhàg iad leis an cumadh aig an làrach no na lorgan. ‘S e cumadh cruinn a tha orra. Can leis na feòil-itheadairean chitheadh tu trì òrdagan gu math follaiseach ach leis an fheadhainn seo tha iad eadar-dhealaichte. Tha mi smaoineachadh anns an latha an th’ ann an-diugh, tha ùidh mhòr aig a’ mhòr-shluagh anns an rud tha seo agus uair sam bith a tha naidheachd a’ briseadh gu bheil fosailean dìneasaran air fhaighinn tha an t-uabhas a tighinn romhad airson a’ faicinn agus tha e math airson an sgìre.
[Calum MacIlleathain – Neach-aithris] A bharrachd air luchd-turais a thàladh dhan Eilean Sgitheanach, tha dùil gun till na eòlaichean ann gus tuilleadh rannsachadh a dhèanamh.
[Calum MacIlleathain – Neach-aithris] Calum MacIlleathain, BBC An Là, Dùn Thuilm.
[Iain Macinnes – Presenter] Now, there’s hope that dinosaur footprints that been recently discovered in the North of Skye will give us a better insight into the life of the larger dinosaurs. Hundreds of footprints were found in Duntulm, the first footprints of their kind that have been discovered across Scotland. This is also the biggest dinosaur site that has been discovered in the entire country. Calum Maclean travelled back in time for us.
[Calum MacLean – Reporter] The Isle of Skye has earned a reputation throughout the years as an excellent location to find evidence of dinosaurs. Fossils and footprints have appeared before this. But, the footprints that appeared on the shore at Duntulm were the first prints of herbivores ever found in Scotland. It was PalAlba – a group of experts who research fossils – who came across the prints in summer this year.
[Dougie Ross] That’s one of the prints and it’s quite a good example as we can see the shape of the nails.
[Calum MacLean – Reporter] But it was fossils themselves the group were looking for on the shore. They did not expect there to be footprints.
[Dougie Ross] We were really amazed when we saw them because I think those prints have been visible for years. But they were quite difficult to make out and once we recognised what they were we were noticing more and more.
[Calum MacLean – Reporter] Although this shore is covered in stones today, when dinosaurs walked here millions of years ago, it was soft mud. And that’s the reason why these prints can still be seen today.
[Calum MacLean – Reporter] The dinosaurs who walked Duntulm are related to the likes of the Brontosaurus and Diploducus. They would have grown to at least 15 meters long and they would have weighed ten tonnes. Experts at Edinburgh University carried out research to determine that they were indeed herbivore footprints.
[Dougie Ross] We know that it was herbivores that left these with the shape of the prints. They are a round shape. With carnivores say, you would very clearly see three toes but these ones are different. I think in this day and age that the public have a great interest in this and any time news breaks that dinosaur fossils have been found a lot of people come to see them and that’s good for the area.
[Calum MacLean – Reporter] As well as attracting tourists to the Isle of Skye, there’s hope that the experts will return to do more research.
[Calum MacLean – Reporter] Calum MacLean, BBC An Là, Duntulm.
[Iain Macaonghais – Preseantair] Nise. Tha dòchas gun toir lorgan-coise dìneasaran a th’ air a thighinn am follais às ùr ann an taobh tuath an Eilean Sgiathanaich, sealladh nas fhèarr dhuinn air beatha nan dìneasaran as motha. Chaidh na ceudan lorgan-coise a’ lorg aig Dùn Tuilm, a’ chiad ceuman de sheòrsa a chaidh lorg air feadh Alba. Seo cuideachd an làrach dìneasar as motha a fhuaras anns an dùthaich air fad. Shiubhal Calum MacIlleathain air ais tro thìm dhuinne.
[Calum MacIlleathain – Neach-aithris] Tha an t-Eilean Sgitheanach air cliù a chosnadh thairis na bliadhnaichean mar sàr àite far am faighear lorg air fianais de dhìneasaran. Tha fosailean agus lorgan coise air nochdadh roimhe seo. Ach b’e na lorgan-coise a chaidh an toirt am follais air a’ chladach aig Dùn Thuilm, a’ chiad lorgan de lus-itheadairean a-riamh ann an Alba. ‘S iad PalAlba – buidheann de eòlaichean a bhios a’ sgrùdadh fosailean, a thàinig tarsainn air na lorgan as t-samhradh am-bliadhna.
[Dùghall Ros] Sin agad fear dhe na lorgan agus ‘s e eisimpleir glè mhath a tha sin airson chì sinn cumadh aig na h-ìnean.
[Calum MacIlleathain – Neach-aithris] Ach, ‘s e fosailean fhèin a bha a’ bhuidheann a’ bhuidheann a’ sireadh air a’ chladach. Cha robh iad idir an dùil gum biodh lorgan-coise ann.
[Dùghall Ros] Ghabh sinn iongnadh mòr nuair a chunnaic sinn iad airson tha mi smaoineachadh gu bheil na lorgan sin follaiseach o chionn grunn bhliadhnaichean. Ach bha iad gu math doirbh an dèanamh a-mach ach aon uair ‘s gun do aithnich sinn dè bh’ unnta bha sinn a’ faicinn barrachd is barrachd as dèidh sin.
[Calum MacIlleathain – Neach-aithris] Ged ‘s e clachan a th’ air a’ chladach seo an-diugh, nuair a choisich dìneasaran an seo o chionn milleanan bhliadhnaichean, ‘s e pol bog a bha ann. Agus ‘s e sin a tha air fàgail gu bheil na lorgan fhathast rim faicinn an-diugh.
[Calum MacIlleathain – Neach-aithris] Bha na dìneasaran a choisich aig Dùn Thuilm càirdeach dha leithid am Brontosaurus agus Diplodocus. Bhiodh iad air fàs gu co-dhiù 15 meatair a dh’ fhaide agus còrr is 10 thunna de chuideam unnta. Rinn eòlaichean aig Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann sgrùdadh gus dearbhadh gur e lorgan-coise lus-itheadairean a bh’ unnta dha-rìribh.
[Dùghall Ros] Tha fios againn gur e lus-itheadairean a dh’ fhàg iad leis an cumadh aig an làrach no na lorgan. ‘S e cumadh cruinn a tha orra. Can leis na feòil-itheadairean chitheadh tu trì òrdagan gu math follaiseach ach leis an fheadhainn seo tha iad eadar-dhealaichte. Tha mi smaoineachadh anns an latha an th’ ann an-diugh, tha ùidh mhòr aig a’ mhòr-shluagh anns an rud tha seo agus uair sam bith a tha naidheachd a’ briseadh gu bheil fosailean dìneasaran air fhaighinn tha an t-uabhas a tighinn romhad airson a’ faicinn agus tha e math airson an sgìre.
[Calum MacIlleathain – Neach-aithris] A bharrachd air luchd-turais a thàladh dhan Eilean Sgitheanach, tha dùil gun till na eòlaichean ann gus tuilleadh rannsachadh a dhèanamh.
[Calum MacIlleathain – Neach-aithris] Calum MacIlleathain, BBC An Là, Dùn Thuilm.
[Iain Macinnes – Presenter] Now, there’s hope that dinosaur footprints that been recently discovered in the North of Skye will give us a better insight into the life of the larger dinosaurs. Hundreds of footprints were found in Duntulm, the first footprints of their kind that have been discovered across Scotland. This is also the biggest dinosaur site that has been discovered in the entire country. Calum Maclean travelled back in time for us.
[Calum MacLean – Reporter] The Isle of Skye has earned a reputation throughout the years as an excellent location to find evidence of dinosaurs. Fossils and footprints have appeared before this. But, the footprints that appeared on the shore at Duntulm were the first prints of herbivores ever found in Scotland. It was PalAlba – a group of experts who research fossils – who came across the prints in summer this year.
[Dougie Ross] That’s one of the prints and it’s quite a good example as we can see the shape of the nails.
[Calum MacLean – Reporter] But it was fossils themselves the group were looking for on the shore. They did not expect there to be footprints.
[Dougie Ross] We were really amazed when we saw them because I think those prints have been visible for years. But they were quite difficult to make out and once we recognised what they were we were noticing more and more.
[Calum MacLean – Reporter] Although this shore is covered in stones today, when dinosaurs walked here millions of years ago, it was soft mud. And that’s the reason why these prints can still be seen today.
[Calum MacLean – Reporter] The dinosaurs who walked Duntulm are related to the likes of the Brontosaurus and Diploducus. They would have grown to at least 15 meters long and they would have weighed ten tonnes. Experts at Edinburgh University carried out research to determine that they were indeed herbivore footprints.
[Dougie Ross] We know that it was herbivores that left these with the shape of the prints. They are a round shape. With carnivores say, you would very clearly see three toes but these ones are different. I think in this day and age that the public have a great interest in this and any time news breaks that dinosaur fossils have been found a lot of people come to see them and that’s good for the area.
[Calum MacLean – Reporter] As well as attracting tourists to the Isle of Skye, there’s hope that the experts will return to do more research.
[Calum MacLean – Reporter] Calum MacLean, BBC An Là, Duntulm.