Unfathomably ancient cairns like Clava and Corrimony, and equally mysterious stone settings unique to Caithness and Sutherland, are the earliest traces of man in the Highland landscapes. Then there are the brochs, uniquely northern defensive round towers of which the well-preserved Glenelg Brochs are especially worth seeking out. Next came the Picts, with Easter Ross a noted centre for Dark Ages culture. This theme can be explored at places like the Tarbat Discovery Centre.

Later stone castles in the Highlands were usually in places of strategic importance. Urquhart Castle formerly guarded routes through the Great Glen from its Loch Ness location - a story told in the wide-ranging modern visitor centre on the site. Scotland's warlike-story lasted till the mid-18th century when the Jacobites under Bonnie Price Charlie were defeated on Culloden Moor. Today, at this atmospheric place, the National Trust for Scotland's Visitor Centre tells the moving story.

The later Highland Clearances, the removal of the native peoples from their traditional settlements also made their mark on the Highland landscapes. Some, like the Rossal village site in Strathnaver can be explored on interpretative trails. Wherever you choose to visit in the Highlands, the past is plainly in the landscape for all to read.