Glasgow bids farewell to Dippy the diplodocus after 635,000 visitors

Dippy the diplodocus has come to the end of his stay in Glasgow, having delighted  hundreds of thousands of visitors since arriving in Scotland.

The Natural History Museum London’s famous dinosaur bowed out to rapturous applause at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, dismantled and packed away for its next tour stop in Newcastle.

Since it was opened in January, 635,000 people have stopped by to pay Dippy a visit.

Chair of Glasgow Life, Councillor David McDonald, said: “The majestic creature looked quite at home gracing the main hall in Kelvingrove Museum.

“Having visited the museum on several occasions its clear many Glaswegians and visitors to the city have taken Dippy into their hearts.

“We are sad to see Dippy go, but know he will delight thousands more as he continues on his tour around the country inspiring others to enjoy a natural history adventure on their own doorstep.”

Dippy on Tour has been the most successful temporary exhibition at Kelvingrove since it reopened after refurbishment 13 years ago.

The exhibition set a record for the highest number of visitors to a temporary exhibition to date, and attracted more than double the number of people in any other city on the tour so far.

Glasgow was the fourth stop on an eight venue tour of the country designed to inspire the next generation of scientists and encourage families to explore nature on their doorstep.

Lorraine Cornish, Head of Conservation at the Natural History Museum London, said: “We have been thrilled with Dippy’s visit to Glasgow, not only has the city welcomed Dippy with open arms but the tour also reached the incredible milestone of one million visitors during its stay.

“With record numbers visiting Kelvingrove, Dippy has continued to inspire visitors to explore the natural world on their doorstep. We now hope to build on this success as Dippy heads to Newcastle where he looks forward to settling into his temporary new home in the Great North Museum, Hancock where an eager audience awaits him.”

The 292 bone structure is now being taken down and packed into 16 crates to be transported in a specially-prepared vehicle to travel to Newcastle upon Tyne.