OOooooo. . . . secrets RCHAEOLOGISTS UNEARTH SECRETS OF THE EARLIEST SCOTTISH SETTLERS AT MESOLITHIC SITE

Archaeologists hope to unearth the secrets of some of Scotland's earliest settlers during a week-long excavation in the north-east.

A Mesolithic site, dating as far back as 8,000BC, was uncovered on the outskirts of Kintore in October last year.

Murray Cook, who is leading the excavation, now plans to return to the site this weekend to try to piece together the history of the area.

Mr Cook, of Edinburgh-based AOC Archaeology, which recently opened an office in Aberdeen, said: "We are looking at the earliest settlement in Aberdeenshire, if not Scotland.