BY JACKIE MACKENZIE
A leading scientist is among those paying tribute to a much-respected Skye archaeologist who put his homeland on the map as Scotland’s “Jurassic Isle”.
Dugald “Dugie” Ross died peacefully at home in Ellishadder in Trotternish, following a period of ill health. He was 68.
Dr Ross had a lifelong passion for archaeology, fuelled by digging up six Neolithic arrowheads as a teenager. He later set up his first museum in Ellishadder when he was just 19 years old.
Over the decades he was involved in nearly all the major discoveries of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals on Skye.
He also served as a director of Staffin Community Trust for many years where his depth of local knowledge was greatly valued.
In the early 1990s, Dr Ross built the current museum which is famous for having the most important national collection of Scottish dinosaur remains,
In tribute, colleague Sine Gillespie recalled: “For decades, he gave meaningful, memorable experiences to thousands of people who crossed his museum threshold. Every artefact brought forth a story that he unfolded like a treasured gift. His memory was impeccable and his stories were full of colourful characters, tantalising diversions and humorous anecdotes.”
In 2016, Dr Ross received the Mary Anning Award for his contributions to palaeontology and in 2024 received an honorary doctorate from the University of Edinburgh for his research into, as well as his discoveries and promotion of, the Jurassic fossils of the Isle of Skye.
Dr Neil Clark, curator of palaeontology at The Hunterian at Kelvin Hall, University of Glasgow, knew Dr Ross for over 30 years and worked closely with him.
“The man who brought the world to Scotland’s Jurassic Isle will be greatly missed,” said Dr Clark.
“His broad knowledge of all aspects of the Isle of Skye was generously shared through the museum he had built by his own hand. From the prehistoric to the historic, Dr Ross was a skilled story-teller who captivated his audience.
“The first scientific publication of a dinosaur footprint from Skye was in 1982, but it was not until 1993 that the first dinosaur bone was reported to The Hunterian in Glasgow by Dugald Ross. Since then, Dugald has been involved in nearly all the major discoveries of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals on Skye. The significance of these discoveries cannot be understated as they came from an age that is otherwise poorly represented worldwide: the Middle Jurassic (about 168-165 million years ago).
“The Isle of Skye had become the window through which the world could see the early evolution of many commonly known Late Jurassic and Cretaceous dinosaurs. Without Dr Dugald Ross, this may never have come to pass.”
There was a large turnout to a public memorial service for Dr Ross in Staffin Hall on Monday, followed by a family cremation in Inverness yesterday (Wednesday).
People also paid tribute on social media. Tommy Clark posted: “Sending deepest sympathy to Debbie and family. Dugald will be a huge huge loss to Staffin. He put Staffin on the map. He was a true gentleman.”