A hillfort overlooking a small village has been revealed as one of the largest ancient settlements ever discovered in Scotland.

Up to 4,000 people may have lived in more than 800 huts on the Tap O’ Noth, close to the village of Rhynie in the fifth to sixth centuries.

The Aberdeenshire settlement may, in fact, date back as far as the third century, meaning it is likely to be Pictish in origin.

The Picts were a collection of Celtic-speaking communities who lived in the east and north of Scotland during the Late British Iron Age and Early Medieval periods.

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It was previously thought that settlements of that size did not appear until about the 12th century.

At its height, it may have rivaled the largest known post-Roman settlements in Europe.

Archaeologists from the University of Aberdeen used radiocarbon dating to establish timeframes.

Read more: Sky News