Giant flying reptile that dominated the sky 170m ago was unearthed in Scotland

A HUGE flying reptile that dominated the sky 170 million years ago has been unearthed on the Isle of Skye.

The fearsome beast, with rows of “self-sharpening” teeth and a wingspan of 8ft, is the largest Jurassic dinosaur ever found.

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Its fossil was discovered by Amelia Penny, a student at the University of Edinburgh, on a secluded beach.

One team then faced a frantic race against time to dig it up before the tide washed it away. The new species was given the Gaelic name Dearc sgiathanach, which means “winged reptile”.

Professor Steve Brusatte, from the university’s school of geosciences, called it “pristine and well-preserved” and said that seeing a herd of them “would be like something out of a collection.” Alfred Hitchcock’s Horror Films.

“They will be a chilling sight, swooping down to catch and eat their prey,” he said.

PhD student Natalia Jagielska said the monster has 24 teeth, which will fall out and regrow to stay razor sharp.

The fossil was unveiled yesterday at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

But Prof Brusatte revealed attempts to retrieve it at high tide had almost been thwarted by a kind old couple.

“They thought we were illegal fossil poachers and tried to arrest a citizen,” he said.

“We had to convince them that we were legitimate and urgently needed to keep working. It was funny and ridiculous.”