The extraordinary and beautiful scenery of the Northern Scottish Highlands has been created by a geological history lasting over three billion years. The new and thoroughly up-dated edition of this popular book takes its readers through those three billion years, shows the rocks, visits the places, introduces some famous researchers and presents the geological theories that have been inspired by the Highlands. Even though the influence of this magnificent place can be overwhelming, the book is about geology and the modern science involved. It is written for all to understand. It is a book for non-specialists interested in modern science, scientists and all lovers of the Northern Scottish Highlands. The text is sometimes light-hearted, but the science is serious. The subjects covered are as wide as he the splitting open of the North Atlantic Ocean: a time when the Earth resembled modern Mars; early continent formation; billion year old bacteria; the very beginnings of human evolution; Snowball Earth; and, inevitably, climate change. This is modern science wrapped up in good writing and humour: a rare combination.