Staffin and Dinosaur Footprints Skye: Beach Access and Tide Timings

On the west coast of the Isle of Skye, just south of the village of Staffin, a stretch of rocky beach holds some of the most ancient secrets in Scotland. These aren’t just ordinary rocks - they’re fossilized dinosaur footprints, pressed into stone over 170 million years ago. Thousands of visitors come each year to see them, but many show up at the wrong time, get stuck on the tide, or miss the best views because they didn’t check the tide schedule. If you want to see these tracks without getting your boots soaked or your car stranded, here’s exactly what you need to know.

Where to Find the Dinosaur Footprints

The dinosaur footprints are located along the rocky shoreline at Staffin Bay, about a 10-minute walk from the small car park off the A863 road. You’ll see a clear path marked by stone cairns leading down to the beach. The footprints are scattered across a wide slab of limestone, exposed only when the tide is low. Some are deep and clear - you can see the three-toed impressions of theropods like Allosaurus or Megalosaurus. Others are faint, worn by centuries of waves. A few even show drag marks from tails or the scuffle of a fleeing prey.

These aren’t replicas. They’re real. Scientists from the University of Edinburgh have studied them since the 1980s. One trackway, about 20 feet long, shows a dinosaur walking at a steady pace - its stride, weight, and speed can still be calculated. No other site in Britain has such a long, continuous set of footprints from the Middle Jurassic period.

How to Get to the Beach

The car park is small - only about 10 spaces - and fills up fast in summer. Arrive before 9 a.m. if you can. There’s no public transport directly to the site, so driving is your best bet. From Portree, take the A863 west for about 12 miles. Look for the brown tourist sign for ‘Dinosaur Footprints’ just past the Staffin Hotel. Park on the shoulder, not on the road. The walk down is steep in places, with loose gravel. Wear sturdy shoes. Sandals won’t cut it.

There’s no fence or barrier. The rocks are slippery, especially after rain. Keep kids close. The tide comes in fast here. One local told me he once saw a family trapped on the rocks for two hours because they didn’t realize the tide was rising. They had to be rescued by the coastguard. Don’t be that family.

Tide Times That Matter

You only get a 2- to 3-hour window to see the footprints clearly. That window changes every day. In winter, the best time is usually between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. In summer, it shifts to 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. because the tides are higher and slower.

Here’s what to look for:

• Low tide must be below 1 meter (3.3 feet) for the main trackway to be fully exposed.
• A tide of 0.5 meters or lower is ideal - you’ll see every claw mark.
• Never go if the tide is above 1.5 meters. You’ll see nothing but water.

Check the tide forecast before you leave. The UK Hydrographic Office publishes accurate times for Staffin. You can find them online or use the free Coastal Tides app. Don’t rely on general Skye tide apps - they’re often wrong for this exact spot.

Last June, a group of students came at 2 p.m. expecting to see the prints. The tide was still at 1.8 meters. They left frustrated. The next day, they came back at 4:15 p.m. - tide was 0.3 meters. They spent two hours on the rocks, sketching and photographing. One of them later posted a photo of a perfect three-toed print next to their boot - it went viral on Instagram.

What to Bring

• Waterproof boots - the rocks are wet, and the air is damp even on sunny days.
• A small notebook and pencil - many prints are too fragile to touch, but you can sketch them.
• A camera with a macro lens - the details are tiny. A phone won’t capture the depth.
• Warm layers - wind off the sea can drop the temperature by 10°C in minutes.
• A thermos of tea - you’ll be standing still for a while, and the wind bites.

Don’t bring drones. The area is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Flying over the site can disturb nesting birds like peregrine falcons and oystercatchers. Rangers patrol the area in summer. Fines start at £500.

Why These Footprints Are Special

Most dinosaur tracks are found in deserts or dry riverbeds. Skye’s were made in tidal mudflats - the same kind of environment where modern shorebirds walk today. That means the dinosaurs weren’t just passing through. They lived here. They hunted here. They came back to the same beach, season after season.

Some prints are from juveniles. Others are from adults over 6 meters long. One set shows a large dinosaur turning sharply - maybe chasing prey, maybe avoiding a rival. The pattern suggests social behavior. That’s rare in the fossil record.

Unlike the bone-rich quarries of North America, Skye’s site gives us movement, not just skeletons. We know how these animals moved. How fast they walked. How they reacted to the tide. It’s not just a fossil site - it’s a snapshot of a living world.

When to Visit

Spring and early autumn are the best times. Summer is crowded. Winter is cold, but you’ll have the beach to yourself. In November and February, you might be the only person there. The light is low, the sky is moody, and the footprints look even older than they are.

Don’t go in heavy rain. The rocks turn slick as glass. The path down becomes dangerous. Wait for a clear day after a few dry days. The prints show up best in direct sunlight. Overcast days make them hard to see.

If you’re planning a longer trip, combine this with a walk to the Old Man of Storr or a drive to the Quiraing. Both are less than 30 minutes away. But don’t rush. Spend at least two hours at Staffin. Sit on a rock. Watch the waves. Imagine a dinosaur stepping here 170 million years ago - right where you’re standing.

What Not to Do

• Don’t climb on the rocks to get a better angle. You’ll damage the prints.
• Don’t pour water on them to make them ‘pop’ - that’s illegal and harmful.
• Don’t use chalk or paint to outline them. People have tried. It ruins the surface.
• Don’t leave trash. Even a plastic bottle can wash into the sea and kill marine life.

There’s a small information board at the car park with a map of the tracks. Take a photo of it. It shows exactly where the main prints are. You’ll thank yourself later.

Final Tip: The Best Time of Day

Go just after low tide. That’s when the rocks are dryest and the sun is still high enough to cast sharp shadows. The shadows make the prints stand out like relief sculptures. Around 4 p.m. in late April, or 2 p.m. in October, the light hits just right. That’s when the footprints look alive - as if the dinosaur just stepped away.

Bring a blanket. Sit. Look. Listen. The sea whispers against the stone. The wind carries the scent of salt and seaweed. And beneath your feet, something older than mountains still speaks.