Stone tools found on the Isle of Skye have been dated to the Late Upper Palaeolithic (LUP), around 11,500 – 11,000 years ago. Based on reconstructions of local glacier formation and sea level data, an enigmatic group of stone circular structures which lie below modern sea level are estimated to date to the same time period. These discoveries mean that the west coast now represents the largest concentration of evidence for these pioneer human populations anywhere in Scotland and reveals how early humans of this period ventured much further north than previously believed.

This joint public lecture was delivered by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in collaboration with the Prehistoric Society.

Professor Karen Hardy FSAScot began working in Skye in 1999 and jointly established the Scotland’s First Settlers project investigating the earliest known human occupation of the region (2000-2005). From 2008-2022 she was an ICREA Research Professor (Barcelona). In 2022, she was awarded €2.5m by the European Research Council (now funded by the UKRI) for her project ‘Powerful Plants’. This is hosted by the University of Glasgow as Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology, until the project terminates in 2027.