Researchers discovered tools dating as far back as 11,500 years. The oldest tools discovered thus far date back to our early ancestors, around 2.6 million years ago . Not only were they helpful to the early humans who used them back then, but early tools like these also serve as valuable clues for scientists today. Needless to say, these findings were crucial in advancing knowledge of ancient Scotland. “This is a hugely significant discovery which offers a new perspective on the earliest human occupation yet known, of north-west Scotland,” Hardy said.