Gold occurs in a number of different ore types in the Fennoscandian Shield ranging in age from Late Archean to Late Proterozoic. Until recently, the metal was exploited primarily as a byproduct in volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits but during the 1980s more gold mines have been opened than during any other episode in the mining history of northern Europe. The occurrence of gold in the Fennoscandian Shield is reviewed in the context of the major tectonostratigraphic units: 1. In the Karelian Province, gold is hosted by greenstone belts of the Archean basement complex e.g. at Ilomantsi, eastern Finland. Greenstone belts of the Nordkalott Province, which are interpreted as part of an Early Proterozoic cover sequence, contain gold deposits associated with copper (Bidjovagge, Saattopora and Pahtohavare). Gold is also associated with cobalt in the metasomatically altered Early Proterozoic cover in north-eastern Finland (Meurastuksenaho and Juomasuo). 2. In the Svecofennian Domain, the major gold deposits were generated during the emplacement of 1.92–1.87 Ga old accretional magmatism. These deposits occur in the northeastern part of the Svecofennian Domain, close to the Archean-Proterozoic boundary. They comprise two major types: (a) the porphyry-type and shear-zone gold hosted by tonalite at Tallberg, Laivakangas, Kopsa and Osikonmaki; (b) as a component of volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits (e.g. Holmtjarn, Boliden and Pyhasalmi). Other types are: (c) gold-bearing quartz-alumina alteration zones formed during the 1.92–1.87 Ga magmatic period (Enasen); (d) gold in massive sulphide and iron ore deposits in Bergslagen. 3. Gold associated with 1.84–1.54 Ga granites has been reported from several sites in the Shield, including quartz veins and contact-metasomatic deposits. In addition, shear-zone-related gold deposits post-dating these granites have been identified in southeastern Sweden (Adelfors). 4. In the Sveconorwegian Domain, the gold deposits at Bleka, Eidsvoll, Glava and Hamas are associated with shear zones which developed penecontemporaneously with the intrusion of late (1.0–0.9 Ga) granites.