Sketch of what the 3.5-metre Arran hand beast may have looked like.
Arran Historical Society members enjoyed an entertaining and interesting talk on the geology of Arran and some of the animals which have inhabited the island, including the Arran hand beast, at its April meeting, writes Hugh Brown.
The talk was conducted by Dr Neil Clark of the Hunterian museum in Glasgow, who visited Arran to see a recent discovery ofa crocodile with longer legs under its body. Translated from Greek, the name means hand beast. This relates to the rear footprint with four fingers (claws) and a pinkie sticking out at right angles like the five digits of a human hand.