The land that was to become Scotland has travelled across the globe over the last 3,000 million years ?from close to the South Pole to its current position. During these travels, there were many continental collisions, creating mountain belts as high as the present-day Himalayas. The Highlands of Scotland were formed in this way. Our climate too has changed dramatically over the last 3 billion years from the deep freeze of the Ice Age to scorching heat of the desert. And within a relatively short time ?geologically speaking, we will plunge back into another ice age.