Stone Age Scotland
As the climate got warmer at the end of the second ice age, tribes of hunter gatherers made their way into what is now Scotland. The first evidence of people in Scotland dates from around 8500BC. Later in the stone age, Scotland's early inhabitants disovered farming, and the first permanent settlements were established, including the world heritage site of Skara Brae in Orkney.
Hunter gatherers
Before farming came to Scotland, people had to spend time looking for food. It was normal for them to move from place to place so they could find new resources.
First farmers
Towards the end of the Stone Age, Scotland's earliest inhabitants discovered how to farm. This meant that they could settle in one place, instead of moving around in search of food. Find out more about life in Scotland's earliest settlements.
Skara Brae
In the 1850s a severe storm uncovered the remains of a late stone age settlement in Skara Brae in the Orkneys. This settlement gives us a fascinating glimpse into life in Scotland over four thousand years ago.
The people of Skara Brae
Explore the late stone age village at Skara Brae: the house, the beach, the fields or the forest. At each place you can find out more about the lifestyles of the villagers, from the evidence archaeologists have found.