Paleontologists have discovered a site, which according to them is the largest dinosaur site in Scotland. The site has hundreds of big footprints from plant-eating sauropods, which date back to nearly 170 million years back.

The findings of the footprints and handprints on the Isle of Skye have helped in providing fresh look into the massive, long-necked animals, which were the largest of the dinosaurs. The discovery of a land mammal that fed on plants, has offered the strongest evidence yet that they weren’t afraid to put their toes into the water occasionally.

In a statement, University of Edinburgh’s Tom Challands, who participated in the discovery said the finding has clearly established the Isle of Skye as a place of key importance for studying the Mid-Jurassic period. The discovery was published in detail in a study on Tuesday in the Scottish Journal of Geology.

Tom Challands added, “It is exhilarating to make such a discovery and being able to study it in detail, but the best thing is this is only the tip of the iceberg. I'm certain Skye will keep yielding great sites and specimens for years to come”.

In April, scientists went to Isle of Skye on one of their yearly fossil trips and fell upon the footprints incidentally. The team headed by Steve Brusatte, while coming back from a long day of fossil digging on the isolated far northeast of the island came across depressions, some as huge as 27 inches in diameter, in the rocks and instantly realized that they had discovered something important.