UK's 'largest' gold nugget discovered in Scottish river

A treasure hunter claims to have discovered the UK's largest gold nugget.

Weighing 121.3g, the gold was found in two pieces in a Scottish river.

The diver used a method called "sniping" which involves using a snorkel and tools to search the bed of gold-bearing waters.

Lee Palmer, author of Gold Occurrences In The UK, said: "This is now the largest nugget in existence in the UK. When you look at it, it's doughnut-shaped.

"There are no impurities in it, it is just pure gold nugget of about 22 carats. It really is a remarkable find."

Mr Palmer, who interviewed the gold hunter for his book, said the man found the two pieces - one bigger than the other - and threw them both into his bucket.

"It wasn't until a couple of days later that he had a look at them and realised how big they were and that they fitted together," he said.

The two pieces slotting together has earned the golden find the nickname, The Reunion Nugget.

Both the finder and the owner of the land where the gold was discovered have decided to keep their identities secret.

Mr Palmer said: "The hole in the middle could have been caused by a strike off a rock or glacier.

"One mineralogist thought it looked like an entry and exit hole that could've been made with a neolithic antler pick, which were used by farmers in the Iron Age."

He added: "Even if you took the largest individual piece, it is still the biggest one in the UK.

"Add together the second piece and the story behind it and you've got something amazing."

The Douglas Nugget holds the current record for the largest gold nugget found in the UK for 500 years.

It was found in 2016 and weighs 85.7g and was also discovered in a Scottish river.