GEOLOGISTS have raised concerns about an important meteorite site on the Isle of Skye after rocks were spotted for sale on eBay.
It is feared mineral hunters have been active on the Strathaird Peninsula, where a team recently discovered meteorite deposits from an impact 60 million years ago.
They contain mineral material from space that has not been found on Earth before.
Dr Simon Drake from Birkbeck, University of London, made the finds on Skye with colleague Dr Andy Beard.
He said: “About three weeks ago one of the students working on a project for us alerted us to the fact that our samples were being sold on eBay.
“This guy was selling the meteorite slices of rock for £9.99 per sample and he had at least 10 of them. We’re looking at about two football sizes having been taken out to provide these. This is going for the price of a fish supper, and it’s 60 million years old.”
The seller was contacted and has now removed the items from the online auction site.
The owners of the meteorite site and another area of interest intend to put up public notices, Drake said, but he would like to see them designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
Scottish Natural Heritage said the unauthorised removal of any of the deposit could be in contravention of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.
Geologist Dr Colin MacFadyen said: “It’s distressing to find out that mineral hunters have been targeting the site. We are working with the researchers and land owners to safeguard the deposits and ensure they are available for future research.”
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