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Staffin Fossil Museum

Staffin Fossil Museum

Staffin Fossil Museum
4.5
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  • Johnny_Kentville
    Kentville, Canada27 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must do when on the Isle of Skye
    We met Dugald Ross who is the expert in the Dinosaur Findings in the Staffin area. It was incredible. He personally founded the museum and continues to find fossils today. We visited the beach in Staffin to see the footprints. Very interesting
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 4 October 2023
  • ajh64
    Norwich, United Kingdom129 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fascinating local finds
    This tiny museum is packed with wonderful local finds including the dinosaur footprint and a new pterodactyl type dinosaur that was named after the local area and the finder who runs the museum. The quality of the fossils is staggering. The museum is not huge and has other local artefacts there. Worth engaging in conversation with the curator who has a wonderful,life time finding these extraordinary exhibits. We loved it. £4 each entry.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 17 October 2023
  • therealmcgaughey
    101 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth a Visit
    Worth the few bucks, especially if the nearby footprints on the cliffside are still closed. (They were in May '23 when I was there. Check ahead!) The man who runs it is thoughtful and happy to tell you about the collection. There's a lot more than just dinosaur tracks, even though it's a very small museum.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 24 January 2024
  • Matt H
    41 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Douglas is very knowledgable - lots of fossils under one roof
    Excellent selection of real fossils and old Skye and highlands tools - including the animal and bird fossils. If Douglas is in - get him to give you some info and a small talk, he is very experienced and knowledgable archaeologist and helped recover the 2017 pterodactyl fossil The road from Portree and over the mountains is interesting (it would be enjoyable if was not for all the camper vans trying to navigate single track roads ), watch for the pot holes !
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 15 August 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
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cazche
Queensferry, UK57 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Family
Felt robbed. From reading the trip advisor reviews, I was looking forward to visiting with my family. It cost £10 for a family ticket. We were in the museum for 5 minutes. The lady that worked in the museum spent time talking with the local people and did not acknowledge us after we had paid the entrance fee. I was under the impression from other reviews that the museum staff were happy to discuss the fossils etc. There was very little written information and half the museum showed other items not related to fossils. We felt robbed and disappointed.
Written 8 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mark H
3 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Couples
Upon entering the museum, the curator was speaking to a tour group but said that we were welcome to come in and that he would be with us in a few minutes. We showed ourselves around the fossils and some of them were reasonably interesting without any context. After ten minutes, the curator was still talking to the tour guide (who, in fairness, seemed like a bore who was holding court!) He hadn't even taken our entry fee and seemed totally nonplussed that we were still waiting to pay/be greeted.

We ended up having to leave when it became clear that nobody was going to approach us. This seems like a bizarre business model given that we are very keen to support local businesses (my girlfriend was desperate to spend money on keepsakes as well: she even had them picked out!)

If other guests cannot be accommodated during a tour, then it should be made clear. We would have been willing to wait! A disappointing experience.
Written 10 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Fern
Glasgow, UK575 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
i'm not sure why some people don't like this place. the £4 is a bit more than i expected to pay for such a small museum but i spent ages here, fascinated by the ammonites mainly but there are cool dinosaur footprints too. and some interesting bones etc. there are also some items for sale which i didn't know.

the museum is really small it's one small room but it's very interesting if you're into fossils.
Written 15 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

clairewrobel
Beijing, China47 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Couples
We went twice during the hours it had posted on the door and twice they were closed. I had to call the number listed and then Dugold, the owner, answered and said he would be by to open it in 30 minutes. So the weird hours of operation were inconvenient but I’m glad I called and we got to visit.

It was so amazing to see all the fossils that were found on Skye. There’s one replica of a dinosaur thigh bone that was found just one km from the museum! It was so cool being so close to the finding site of so many fossils.

Dugold has an amazing story. He founded the museum when he was 15 because he was inspired after finding arrowheads, which you can see in the museum. While we were there a group from University of Edinburgh came to marvel at the museum so it was fun being there with them too.

There were two books that we bought from the museum: one was Dugold’s book “Jurassic Skye: Dinosaurs & other fossils of the Isle of Skye” and one was a middle grade fiction called “The Island Where Dinosaurs Roamed” by David Blakesley. We asked Dugold to sign his book for us.

Although it was small, my husband (who’s a dinosaur nerd) was glad we stopped there and loved talking with Dugold.
Written 1 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Milou
Suva, Fiji14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
Dugold, who is often present to receive you at his museum, is the actual locally grown up person who found most of these dinosaur fossils and it was an absolute privilege to arrive at this little museum and have about an hour talk with him about his lifework. How often do you get to speak with the founder of dinosaur fossils! Not often, and here on the Isle of Skye the opportunity exists. Dugold was taking his time for us and his eyes were sparkling when he showed us his findings and shared stories about how he discovered some of the bones. We could have listened to him for hours, it was such authentic and ancient vibes going on. Keep up the interesting work Dugold, you have build a beautiful space there on Skye!
Written 29 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

diner682
Dundee, UK31 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2022 • Couples
Amazing wee place. Eclectic collection of historical artefacts and fossils. . Obviously only go if you’re interested in fossils, history and palaeontology then it is brilliant value for just £4. But there are non of the knobs, buttons and ‘ interactive displays’ that honestly drive me mad in some museums. So much nicer to have it all explained in a lilting Skye accent by someone who is passionate about their island and it’s history. Thank you so much
Written 26 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Craig S
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Couples
Contrary to some of the previous reviews I could not find Dougie, the curator, more welcoming and professional. Having collected at least 90% of the exhibits he is more than knowledgable about the subject and is eager to tell people about his passion. He was a joy to talk to and I can’t thank him enough for the experience we had visiting the museum.
The museum itself boasts the largest collection of dinosaur material from Scotland and some of the exhibits are unique. From all the displays you get a real glimpse into how vibrant prehistoric life on Skye actually was.
The value for what you get to see here is incredible, I will definitely be back and can’t wait to learn more from Dougie.
Written 19 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ajh64
Norwich, UK129 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Friends
This tiny museum is packed with wonderful local finds including the dinosaur footprint and a new pterodactyl type dinosaur that was named after the local area and the finder who runs the museum. The quality of the fossils is staggering. The museum is not huge and has other local artefacts there. Worth engaging in conversation with the curator who has a wonderful,life time finding these extraordinary exhibits. We loved it. £4 each entry.
Written 17 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ZeroFox66
Mansfield, UK50 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Solo
If you are going to see the footprints then the first thing to do is visit this treasure chest. Amazing items are within the building and the staff are very knowledgeable.
The fossils contained within the building are fantastic, not just dinosaur remnants but also crofting.
If you ask they will tell you exactly how to find the footprints, as they aren’t always easy to find.
Written 8 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Marie C
Cork, Ireland6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2023 • Family
Such a lovely little museum. The lady working there was so kind and patient with my kids who were very excited to see dinosaur fossils. It was probably the most memorable experience of our recent holiday in Scotland. Well worth a visit.
Written 17 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Staffin Fossil Museum - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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