Jurassic discovery is most complete dinosaur ever found in Scotland

This is what it's thought the dinosaur would have looked like when it was alive

Imagine finding treasure and then having to wait more than 50 years to get your hands on it.

Researchers have shared the details of a dino-discovery recovered from a cliff on the Isle of Skye, off the north west coast of Scotland.

Nicknamed the Elgol dinosaur after the area of Skye where it was found, the fossil was first discovered in 1973.

Palaeontologists have now retrieved the fossil and had a chance to study it.

They say it is the most complete dinosaur skeleton ever found in Scotland.

The fossil was discovered in a cliff face on Skye, in the north west of Scotland

Getting the fossil out of the rocks and into the lab was a big challenge.

Its cliff face location was thought to be too difficult to access.

Decades after it was first discovered, palaeontologist Dr Elsa Panciroli was finally able to get to the site.

She retrieved the fossil with help from a special team from Canada and a local tour boat company.

Dr Panciroli said: "This was a really challenging extraction. In fact we'd previously felt was too difficult... but I thought it was really important to study it.

"I was able to persuade the team to give it a try.

"It took a lot of hard work from a lot of people, but we did it.

"Finally we can confirm and publish Scotland's first recorded and most complete dinosaur, and that makes it all worthwhile."

Dr Elsa Panciroli with the fossil

After the fossil was removed from the cliff, it was studied in a lab.

There, experts were able to identify the dinosaur's spine, ribs and hip bones.

They discovered that the fossil is one of the earliest known examples of an ornithopod, a group of dinosaurs that includes the Iguanodon.

Analysis of the bone structure revealed that the dinosaur would have been about the same size as a pony.

Researchers believe it was eight years old when it died.

The fossil dates from the Middle Jurassic period, making it around 166 million years old.

Professor Susie Maidment from the Natural History Museum said, "Recent research on the fossils of Elgol has revealed a diverse ecosystem of extraordinarily preserved Middle Jurassic animals, and I'm sure there are more exciting discoveries to come."

Dr Stig Walsh, from National Museums Scotland, called the fossil a "wonderful addition" to their collection of Jurassic finds from Skye.