Catatan tertulis pertama mengenai wilayah yang kini disebut Skotlandia berasal dari [[Pytheas]] kurang lebih pada tahun 325 SM.<ref name=ArOntheCosmos>[[GreekBahasa languageYunani|GreekYunani]] {{lang|grc|"... ἐν τούτῳ γε μὴν νῆσοι μέγιστοι τυγχάνουσιν οὖσαι δύο, Βρεττανικαὶ λεγόμεναι, Ἀλβίων καὶ Ἰέρνη, ...", transliterationtransliterasi "... en toutoi ge men nesoi megistoi tynchanousin ousai dyo, Brettanikai legomenai, Albion kai Ierne, ..."}}, translation "... There are two very large islands in it, called the British Isles, Albion and Ierne; ..."; {{cite book|last=[[AristotleAristoteles]] oratau [[Pseudo-Aristotle]]|coauthors=E. S. Forster (translator), D. J. Furley (translator)|title=On Sophistical Refutations. On Coming-to-be and Passing Away. On the Cosmos.|url=http://ia600300.us.archive.org/13/items/onsophisticalref00arisuoft/onsophisticalref00arisuoft.djvu|publisher = William Heinemann LTD, Harvard University Press|chapter=On the Cosmos, 393b12|pages=360–361}} at the [[Open Library]] Project.{{DjVulink}}</ref><ref name=LSJBrettanike>{{LSJ|*bretaniko/s|Βρεττανική|ref}}</ref>