Dr Matthew Knight said the shield would have belonged to someone of high status

An "incredibly rare" Bronze Age shield has returned to Scotland for the first time in more than 230 years.

The shield was discovered near Beith in North Ayrshire in around 1779. It was presented to the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1791 where it has remained since.

Measuring around 60-70cm in diameter, the bronze shield even has spear damage and other forms of damage - suggesting it was used in combat.

It will be displayed at the First Warriors exhibition, which opens at the National Museum of Scotland (NMS) in Edinburgh this summer and will be the first time it has been seen in Scotland since its discovery.

Dr Matthew Knight, a curator at NMS, said unpacking the Beith shield "was breath-taking".

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