Fragments of prehistoric community and a rare James VII coin - new archaeological discoveries in Scotland
New finds shed light on some key moments in nation’s history
Its sites are a treasure trove of Scottish history which help bring the past to life for millions of visitors every year.
Now, the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) has revealed the archaeological discoveries made at its network of properties over the past year.
The finds span centuries of human history, ranging from the Neolithic era all the way through the Industrial Revolution.
The trust said the long-lost fragments unearthed throughout 2025 would help it to better understand the properties in its care, and provide a tangible link with some key flashpoints in Scottish history.
The oldest find was made in front of the chambered cairn at Crarae Garden near Inveraray, where archeologists uncovered a wide range of artefacts that are thought to be fragments of a Neolithic community.
The items, which include Arran pitchstone, quartz flakes, and burnt and unburnt flint, were located near two areas of charcoal-stained soil, believed to be remnants of prehistoric fires.
Alice Connolly, an archeology trainee at the trust, said it is thought that members of the historic community in modern-day Argyll would have gathered around the cairn to participate in ritual ceremonies.
She pointed out that the Arran pitchstone - a volcanic, glass-like material previously used for tools - appeared to have been brought to site from the Ayrshire island, located nearly 40 miles away.
“The pitchstone fragments related to Arran shows the interconnectedness of these Neolithic communities and it is a privilege to be a part of piecing their story back together again,” she explained.
2025 was also a significant year for the trust’s understanding of the Jacobite movement, with upwards of 100 projectiles uncovered from the Culloden Battlefield, and 17th century coins found in the excavated remains of a turf house in Glencoe, which the NTS said confirms it was a home for Jacobite loyalists.
Silver coins from the reign of Elizabeth I of England point towards a construction date of the house in the second half of the 16th century. However, the most recent coin found in the house was a large piece of brass Irish gun money with the date of 1690, just two years before the massacre of Glencoe. King James VII issued such coins, bearing an image of his head, to his supporters with the promise of reimbursement when he regained his throne.
But James VII never returned to power in Britain and Ireland, and many of his subjects in Glencoe, perhaps including the inhabitants of this turf house, met a brutal end during the massacre.
Derek Alexander, head of archaeology at the NTS, described the story of the find as “one of brutality and betrayal,” adding: “It’s possible that the house witnessed some of the awful events of the massacre and may have been destroyed as a result.
“It's not hard to imagine that, during the violent events of the night, this coin and others could have been scattered across the roughly cobbled floor. This is a vivid example of how archaeology can bring us closer to the people of the past and their experiences.”
Elsewhere, recent excavation work at the House of Dun in Montrose uncovered the remains of the Erskine family’s medieval castle. Artefacts found at the site include medieval pottery and a ‘Turner’ copper coin produced sometime between 1642 and 1668.
The NTS said such discoveries were “exceptional” given the foundations of the former castle are located away from the existing house, in what was a walled garden, making it easier for teams to carry out excavation works.
In the Scottish Borders, an excavation at Priorwood Garden last September revealed a well-preserved fragment of medieval carved stonework, which was originally part of the medieval Melrose Abbey.
The piece of detailed sculptured stone was a decorated boss that would have been attached to the ribbed stone vaulting in the abbey church. Priorwood Garden is located within part of the abbey’s inner precinct and, the NTS said, the stone had clearly been robbed from the ruin when it fell into decline around the time of the Reformation.
Further afield in Iona, meanwhile, investigations at Maol Cottage shed light on building practices in the area in the 19th century. Removal of the interior linings of the cottage revealed the remains of timber couples which supported an earlier thatched roof.
The NTS said the couples appear to be older than the house itself, and may have been salvaged from a ship, or washed up on shore, before being put to good use by islanders.
“Good timber was always in short supply on the island, so whatever could be collected and recycled would have been,” Mr Alexander said. “Changes made to the cottage over the years have disguised the older features of the building.
“It’s exciting to uncover signs that help us understand what the building would’ve looked like in the early days of farming, and evidence of the sustainable practice employed by the farmers to make the most of what they had.”
Scotland’s largest independent conservation charity said that while it was looking forward to building on its work throughout 2026, it faced challenges - not least those posed by the changing climate.
Mr Alexander said its calendar of work was increasingly being dictated by the impacts of more “unpredictable” conditions, with many sites in its care bearing the brunt of more regular and extreme flood and storm events.
He added: “Often our work is undertaken to record sites and features that have been damaged by falling trees, coastal erosion or rivers flooding.”
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