I suspect the blue eyes that seem to often pair with the red haired, pink skinned people from Scotland and Ireland may be a different or independent mutation from the one that these scientists found testing a different European population group. They should now test the Scots and the Irish.
In the article Dr. Eiberg says “From this we can conclude that all blue eyed individuals are linked to the same ancestor.” I do not see this as a proven fact. The same or similar mutation could have occurred more than once in different parts of the world. This data was based on a modest number of samples taken in Denmark, Turkey and Jordan. The article says nothing about the examination of blue eyed genetics in the British Isles. My late husband’s blue eyes were lighter and a different shade of blue. Less violet than the eye sown. Also, scientist are saying that Neanderthals had red hair and pink skin, and likely blue eyes. At any rate, something like 10% of the population in the fringes of the British Isles have that coloring, and apparently 40% carry the “ginger gene”.