Staffin Fossil Museum
Staffin Fossil Museum
4.5
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Top ways to experience Staffin Fossil Museum and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
5 within 3 miles
Attractions
12 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- Johnny_KentvilleKentville, Canada27 contributionsMust do when on the Isle of SkyeWe 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 interestingVisited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 4, 2023
- ajh64Norwich, United Kingdom129 contributionsFascinating local findsThis 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 2023Traveled with friendsWritten October 17, 2023
- therealmcgaughey101 contributionsWorth a VisitWorth 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 2023Traveled soloWritten January 24, 2024
- Matt H41 contributionsDouglas is very knowledgable - lots of fossils under one roofExcellent 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 2024Traveled with familyWritten August 15, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
83 reviews
Excellent
57
Very good
16
Average
5
Poor
1
Terrible
4
cazche
Queensferry, UK57 contributions
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 August 8, 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
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.
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 April 10, 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
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.
the museum is really small it's one small room but it's very interesting if you're into fossils.
Written June 15, 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
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.
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 April 1, 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
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 August 29, 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
Jul 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 July 26, 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
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.
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 May 19, 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
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 October 17, 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
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.
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 October 8, 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
Jul 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 July 17, 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.
Showing results 1-1 of 1
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing