From Bronze Age hill settlements and burial mounds as old as the pyramids as Giza, to Iron Age remains and Roman-era forts, we take a look at 7 of the best prehistoric and ancient sites you can visit within a short drive of Edinburgh city centre.
1. Cairnpapple Hill
With a history stretching back more than 4,000 years, Cairnpapple Hill near Bathgate in West Lothian is one of the most important neolithic sites in northern Europe. A Class II henge with either timber posts or standing stones was constructed over the hill top in around 3000 BC.
Photo: BILL HENRY
2. Huly Hill Burial Mound
Situated near a busy interchange between the M8 and the approaches to the Forth bridges, the Bronze Age burial mound and standing stones at Huly Hill, Newbridge, are an unexpected sight. The remains of an Iron Age chariot were famously discovered here in 2001.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
3. Castlelaw Hill Fort
Consisting of a series of earthwork ditches and bank put in place to protect a circular-shaped centre, Iron Age Castlelaw enjoys a picturesque setting in the heart of the Pentland Hills.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
4. Cramond Roman Fort
One of the Capital’s best-known Roman era archaeological sites can be at Cramond. Established around 140AD, the fort is believed to have been occupied on and off by the Romans for at least eighty years. A sculpture, dubbed the Cramond Lioness, is among the many great finds at the site.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons