Gold expert Leon Kirk examines the record breaking gold nugget found in a Scottish river Credit: Paul Jacobs/Picture Exclusive
Scotland could be facing a gold rush after a man discovered the UK’s largest nugget in an unknown river.
The hunter, who has asked not to be named, discovered the 85.7g (2.75 Troy ounces) lump while lying face down in a Scottish river for hours using a snorkel.
Named the Douglas Nugget, it claimed to be the biggest gold nugget to have been unearthed in British waters for 500 years and is expected to be worth at least £50,000.
The discovery was made two years ago but has been kept a secret until now. Upon finding the nugget the man - in his 40s - ran from the water clutching his gold shouting “bingo”.
The nugget was discovered in a river in Scotland but its name is being kept under wraps in a bid to avoid a gold rush.
Breaking his silence, the lucky hunter said he came across it by “sniping”, a method where hunters don a dry suit and snorkel before lying face down in a river.
A crack in the bedrock of the river showed a fine line of gold and led to a large pocket containing the huge chunk Credit: Paul Jacobs/Picture Exclusive
The man, who has been hunting for gold as a hobby for 20 years, said: “I was following a crack in the bedrock and found around 2g in fine gold.
“This then led to a pocket, where I uncovered the nugget. I called over my friend to have a look and we both assumed it to be around 5-7g in weight.
“It wasn't until I removed it that we realised just how big it was.” He added: “I took off my glove and picked it up, jumped out of the water and screamed, 'Bingo!' to my friend.
“We were both stunned and couldn't believe it. I've never seen anything like it in my lifetime.”
The man is unsure what to do with his nugget and is keeping it in a safety deposit box in the meantime - but there is a danger the Crown Estate could claim the proceeds if it is sold.
Under law, gold and silver are classed as Mines Royal, meaning that in most cases they belong to the crown.
The technique used to find it is called sniping, where the treasure hunter lies face down in the water with a snorkel and goggles Credit: Paul Jacobs/Picture Exclusive
Hunters therefore need permission from The Crown Estate to take away any gold that is found, regardless of the method used to find it. It is not clear whether permission has been granted.
Leon Kirk, from Gold Panning Supplies UK, and friend of the lucky hunter, said that while they were concerned that giving away the location of the river could cause a huge gold rush, his friend was also keen to keep his find a secret to allow him to fully search the river.
“It’s a bit of a secret society gold panning when you find a good river,” he said. “I know this guy has spent the last two years looking through the rest of the river where he found this huge nugget.
“He’s found lots of other pieces of gold since so that’s probably why he’s kept it quiet - you wouldn’t want to give something like that away.
“I think we’re both of the view as well that telling people where it was could ruin the river - but I don’t even know where he found it.”
Leon Kirk said the find had been kept quiet to allow the hunter to scour the rest of the river Credit: Paul Jacobs/Picture Exclusive
Although he does not know exactly where the gold was found, Mr Kirk recommended that people scour Wanlockhead in Dumfries, Galloway where gold nuggets have been discovered before.
In 2015 a £10,000 nugget, which weighed approximately 18 grams, was found near Wanlockhead.
Mr Kirk added: “This is a very exciting and unprecedented find. But the nugget's rarity means it is very hard to put a price on it.
“I would say it is worth at least £50,000 but, as it's rarer than a Aston Martin or a Faberge egg, a billionaire could easily come along and pay a lot more for it.
“Historically, it is off the Richter scale.”
The Douglas Nugget is believed to share a similar diameter to that of a 1.6ins golf ball.
Dr Neil Clark, author of Scottish Gold: Fruit Of The Nation, believes the shape of the Douglas Nugget could mean there is more gold just waiting to be found close to the mystery location.
He said: “The size of the nugget suggests that it probably did not travel far.” But added: “The fact that we have waited over 500 years for this nugget suggests it may be difficult to find another comparable one in the near future.”
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