Archaeological Sites in Scotland

As is so often the case, the earliest evidence for humans in Scotland is sketchy. Archaeologists have recently excavated a site near Edinburgh that was inhabited by Mesolithic hunter gatherers about 8,500 years ago. Remains from succeeding periods of prehistory in Scotland are more abundant. From the ubiquitous megalithic monuments of the Neolithic and the Bronze Age to the enigmatic hill forts built during the Iron Age to the imposing abbeys and castles of the Medieval period, the diversity of archaeological sites throughout the highlands and islands of Scotland bear witness to a complex and fascinating past. Read more about Archaeology in Scotland.

Find Archaeological Sites by Region in Scotland

For our list of recommended archaelogical sites click the region on the map or use the list on the left.

Scotland has 32 council areas. We have grouped them as follows:

Shetland Islands
Orkney Islands
Outer Hebrides (also called Na h-Eileanan Siar)
The Highlands (Highland, Moray)
Aberdeenshire (Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire)
East Central (Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Perth and Kinross)
West Central (Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire)
Edinburgh & Lothians (Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian)
Glasgow & Clyde Valley (Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire)
Ayrshire (East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire)
South (Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders)