YOUNG time travellers journeyed back to the iron age as they researched their first book.

Pupils from Newark Primary were inspired to go into print by the rich history on their doorstep while the town's two high schools worked on associated projects.

St Stephen's High produced a comic inspired by archaeological finds and Port High worked with Erskine Media to develop a piece of music featuring sounds inspired by Iron Age objects.

The youngsters from Newark meanwhile worked with poet Julie Anne Douglas and photographer Louie Pastore to create Stonesongs, a volume of poetry and photographs.

More than 80 young people in total took part in the project, run by local heritage group Magic Torch in conjunction with archaeologists from Scotland's Urban Past and supported by Heritage Lottery Fund.

Stories of Iron Age life and Roman occupation were used as the starting points as the groups looked at historic local sites such as Craigmarloch fort.

Paul Bristow of Magic Torch said: "We’ve delivered projects on so many different aspects of Inverclyde’s history and heritage – but we had never used archaeology as the starting point.

"Craigmarloch Iron Age fort is a site which isn’t all that well known.

"There’s not much of the site to see physically, you have to wander across two fields and up a hill covered in bracken to even find it.

"But that meant there was lots of scope for inspiration and interpretation.”

The nine-year-olds from Newark Primary are delighted with the end result of their book.

Calvin Lewis Mitchell said: "It was good fun making it and I really enjoyed taking photographs."

Emily Rodgers added: "I liked writing the poems because we were using our imagination."

All pupils involved in the research will now receive Heritage Hero awards from Historic Environment Scotland.

The book and comic were launched at Newark Primary and a video featuring music and artwork from the project will be available to view online at www.magictorchcomics.co.uk