The hand-beast of Blackwaterfoot

Abstract

In about 1999, a single footprint of a chirotheroid (‘hand-animal’) form was discovered in Arran. It was known of before this, but kept secret in case it was vandalised. At that time, it was the first, and only known, record of this kind of footprint in Scotland and was therefore quite an important discovery. It consisted of a large hand-shaped rear footprint and a smaller offset front footprint of a large chirotheroid (‘hand-animal’) animal. These types of footprints are well known from the Triassic rocks across the border in England and elsewhere in the world, but were unknown in Arran, or, for that matter, Scotland. There were some footprints from Corse Hill Quarry, Annan near to Dumfries that were mentioned in old papers from the 1850s. However, as there were no collections made or sketches of the footprints; they remain unsubstantiated as chirotheroid footprints. There are plenty of other footprints from the Triassic of Dumfries, but none are of the chirotheroid type