Scottish DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · United Kingdom · Northern Europe
Scotland's genetic profile is closely tied to the rest of Britain and Ireland, with the strong steppe-related signal typical of the northwestern edge of Europe. In our model, the Scottish average is 49.4% steppe (Yamnaya), 37.0% Anatolian Neolithic farmer and 13.6% Western hunter-gatherer. As in the rest of Britain, early farmers arrived around 6,000 years ago, and much of that Neolithic ancestry was replaced from about 2500 BC by Bell Beaker-associated people carrying steppe-related ancestry. Later centuries brought Norse settlement, especially in the northern and western isles. The closest modern averages are Orcadians, Irish, English and Welsh. The closest ancient groups are Viking Age people from Hofstadir in Iceland and High Medieval Faroe Islanders, populations that themselves descend from both Norse and Gaelic settlers, an echo of the old links around the North Atlantic.
- Ancient components in our model: Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 49.4%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 37.0%, Western hunter-gatherers 13.6%
- Closest modern population in our data: Orcadian (other sample set), distance 0.0058
- Closest ancient group in our data: Iceland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Hofstadir, distance 0.0113
This page sums up what the DNA of the Scottish sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in United Kingdom, and it is one of 335 populations in our atlas. An average describes the group as a whole, not any single person in it.
Ancient make-up of the Scottish average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Scottish average, 49.4%, goes to Steppe herders (Yamnaya), ahead of Anatolian Neolithic farmers (37.0%) and Western hunter-gatherers (13.6%). The Steppe herders (Yamnaya) component reflects the Bronze Age herders of the Pontic-Caspian steppe (Yamnaya and related groups), whose ancestry spread across Europe and into Asia from about 3000 BC. The Anatolian Neolithic farmers share (37.0%) reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC.
The fit is loose (fit distance 0.045), which usually means that none of the available reference populations is a close stand-in for part of this ancestry, so read the percentages as rough. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
Nordsee – North Sea Germanic Ancestry Report
Closest modern populations to Scottish
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Orcadian (other sample set) first for Scottish, at 0.006, then Irish and English. Even the tenth closest, Breton (Cotes-d'Armor), is only 0.012 away: Scottish belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
Most of the closest populations that have their own atlas page (5 of 6) are also from Northern Europe, as geography would predict.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orcadian (other sample set) | 0.0058 | Very close |
| 2 | Irish | 0.0073 | Very close |
| 3 | English | 0.0076 | Very close |
| 4 | Welsh | 0.0092 | Very close |
| 5 | Cornish | 0.0096 | Very close |
| 6 | Faroese | 0.0102 | Very close |
| 7 | English (Cornwall) | 0.0104 | Very close |
| 8 | Dutch | 0.0108 | Very close |
| 9 | Breton (Finistere) | 0.0110 | Very close |
| 10 | Breton (Cotes-d'Armor) | 0.0115 | Very close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Scottish
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Scottish average is Iceland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Hofstadir (Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD), at 0.011. Faroes High Medieval and Belgium High Medieval Holy Roman Empire Sint-Truiden (Northwest Euro Profile) come next. That is a very close match, which suggests strong genetic continuity between those ancient people (or close relatives of theirs) and the modern population. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iceland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Hofstadir | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.0113 |
| 2 | Faroes High Medieval | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0114 |
| 3 | Belgium High Medieval Holy Roman Empire Sint-Truiden (Northwest Euro Profile) | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0116 |
| 4 | Germany Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Thuringian Deersheim (Northwest Euro Profile) | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0117 |
| 5 | Denmark Early Medieval Viking Age Zealand (Mixed Northern Euro Profile) | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.0119 |
| 6 | Germany High Medieval Rathausmarkt | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0120 |
| 7 | England Roman Empire-Late Antiquity | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0123 |
| 8 | England MIA-LIA | Middle Iron Age | 0.0126 |
| 9 | Austria Early Medieval Avar Period (Northwest Euro Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0131 |
| 10 | Netherlands Early Medieval Groningen | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0136 |
Ancient DNA from United Kingdom
Our ancient DNA database holds 1,753 individuals excavated in present-day United Kingdom, dated from about 12,800 BC to 1844 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R1b (471), I2a (152) and I1a (54), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are U5 (200), H1 (190) and K1 (150). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Scottish population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on United Kingdom
- Diachronic reuse of Neolithic burial monuments by Bronze Age newcomers in Southwestern Britain (2026)
- Ancient DNA reveals matrilineal organisation and recurrent unions between dominant matrilines in Iron Age Britain (2026)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 1,753 from United Kingdom.
Compare yourself with Scottish
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Scottish average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Scottish and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
Keep in mind that a population average is a statistical summary of a limited number of sampled individuals. Real people inside any group vary, some carry more of one ancestry and some less, and no genetic profile decides who is or is not Scottish. Use these numbers as a map of deep ancestry, not as a label.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Scottish average. Your own DNA has its own story: Nordsee – North Sea Germanic Ancestry Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for people of North Sea Germanic ancestry: ancient regional core (native British/Dutch/Danish Iron Age, Roman Britain, Anglo-Saxon migration, Viking Age, Frisian Saxon, Anglo-Norman) versus non-regional outside admixture...
More populations from Northern Europe
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Scottish?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Scottish average is about 49.4% Steppe herders (Yamnaya), 37.0% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 13.6% Western hunter-gatherers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Scottish?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Scottish average are Orcadian (other sample set), Irish and English. The closest ancient matches are Iceland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Hofstadir, Faroes High Medieval and Belgium High Medieval Holy Roman Empire Sint-Truiden (Northwest Euro Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Scottish?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Scottish average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Scottish ancestry?
For the Scottish average, the regional report to choose is Nordsee – North Sea Germanic Ancestry Report, which our fit test rates as an excellent match. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.