Dippy - the iconic diplodocus that has welcomed visitors to London’s Natural History Museum (NHM) for more than 37 years - is embarking on a tour of the UK following the museum’s decision to replace the replica dinosaur with a blue whale skeleton.

The 21.3 metre-long dinosaur, with 292 replica bones made of plaster, has been in the museum’s collection for more than 112 years.

Installed in the museum’s Hintze Hall in 1979, Dippy will start its tour in February next year, visiting a number of cultural locations, including Dorset County Museum, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery; Ulster Museum; Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow; Great North Museum, Hancock, Newcastle upon Tyne; National Assembly for Wales and Number One Riverside in Rochdale, with the tour culminating in July 2020 at Norwich Cathedral.

NHM, which is currently renovating its exterior grounds, has plans to cast Dippy in bronze upon its return to the museum and place it as an outdoor installation in its gardens.

The museum is currently masterminding how it will move the enormous blue whale skeleton - beached in 1891 in Ireland - from its mammals gallery - a decision reflective of a new strategy at NHM to reinvent the way it displays and disseminates information and resources to engage better with a modern audience.

It’s hoped the whale, which will be suspended from the ceiling in the impressive hall, will help communicate the role humans must play in protecting animals and nature. The whale has been part of the museum’s collection since 1891.