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Scotland’s Fossil Heritage

Fossils are the remains or traces of once-living animals and plants and range from microscopic pollen grains to dinosaurs. Fossils are found mostly in sedimentary rocks that represent accumulations of sand, silt and mud laid down in ancient marine, lagoon, river and lake environments.

A Torridonian sedimentary rock sequence - located near Ullapool in the north-west of Scotland, these 800 million year old rocks contain some of Scotland's oldest known fossils. © Scottish Natural Heritage.

It is possible to find fossils in sea cliffs and beaches, within and alongside river and stream sections, and in quarries, where natural erosion or human activity has exposed the layers of sedimentary rock. The rich and diverse fossil heritage of Scotland spans 1,200 million years of Earth history. Scotland has yielded the world’s oldest known vertebrate (a primitive fish) , some of the earliest amphibian and reptile remains, some of the oldest known plants, the oldest known insect, and some of the earliest mammal remains. Scotland’s fossil heritage has therefore had a crucial role in the study of plant and animal evolution. There is no doubt that important discoveries will continue to be made.