Hair sample collection and analysis - what am I actually looking for?

I've been doing fieldwork on the Scottish Highlands (Cairngorms area) for the past two months, and I've collected what might be primate hair from three separate locations. Before I get excited, I want to understand what I should be testing for and what proper analysis actually looks like.

I've got the samples in sealed bags with date and location info. Should I be looking at DNA analysis (and if so, where do I send them - cost?), or is there simpler identification I can do first? I've watched a few videos on microscopic hair analysis but I'm aware that's not definitive.

Also, has anyone had experience with the Oxford or Cambridge zoology departments? Are they willing to analyse samples from the public, or do they just laugh you out of the building?

Good discipline on the documentation - that's already better than 90% of field researchers. For hair analysis, you need to check colour, length, medulla pattern (the central channel), scale pattern, and root structure under a decent microscope. A 40x digital scope costs about £30-40 and will show you the basics.

For DNA analysis, private labs like Eurofins will do it for £50-100 per sample. They won't care what the hair is from, they'll just sequence it. If you're finding consistent matches to unknown primate DNA across multiple locations, that's genuinely interesting. If it's all deer or badger hair, well, you've got your answer.

The university angle is probably a non-starter, to be honest. They're not interested in cryptozoology and they've got bigger things to spend funding on. Your best bet is connecting with independent researchers - there's a bloke in Bristol who runs a free hair analysis service for the community. Check the 'Equipment Guides' forum, someone will have his contact details.

Should I be looking at DNA analysis

The Cairngorms is good territory though. There's been consistent anecdotal reports from that area for decades. If you're finding something in multiple locations, you're doing real fieldwork.

Don't bother with the universities. I tried that route in 2019. Got polite emails essentially saying 'we study known animals.' However, there's a researcher at Edinburgh University (Dr. Eleanor Carmichael, cryptobiology adjacent) who's receptive to amateur findings. Email her directly - she's published on Borneo primates and is more open-minded than most academics.

Solid approach overall. One thing: make sure your collection method is clean. Use clean gloves, tweezers, and new bags for each sample. Cross-contamination ruins DNA analysis. Also photograph the location where you found the hair - context matters enormously.