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Precious metals unearthed

Scientists have unearthed a seam of precious metal on the Scottish island of Rum. Duncan Pirrie, a geologist at the Camborne School of Mines, UK, found grains of platinum in the sediment of streams on the island, which prompted him to look for the metal in the surrounding rocks. Although the deposits found so far are not large enough for mining, Pirrie believes there could be larger deposits elsewhere in northwest Scotland.