Highlands of Scotland

Scottish Higlands and Islands

Counties: Argyll, Inverness-shire, Ross and Cromarty, Sutherland, Caithness, Orkney, Shetland, Moray, Aberdeenshire.

Principal towns: Aberdeen, Inverness, Wick, Kirkwall, Lerwick, Stornoway, Fort William.

Scotland makes up approximately a third of the land mass of Britain but has less than 10% of the population, most of whom live in and around a few major cities.

The Scots have their own distinctive identity. Although Scotland has been part of Britain since 1707, it has always retained some autonomy, for example its own system of law, and in 1998 its own parliament was re-established. Gaelic is rarely spoken now, even so in some areas the Scottish brogue is so distinctive you may be forgiven for thinking that they are talking in something other than English!

The Highlands and Islands are justifiably famous for their outstanding natural beauty. Save a few castles, the attractions of this region are almost all natural. You will not find pretty villages here; the Scots go in for a no-nonsense approach to architecture which reflects the sometimes harsh nature of the climate.

Here lie the brooding mountains and glens (valleys), with their famous lochs (lakes), that conjure up the romantic image of Scotland. Off the western coast lie the islands that make up the Hebrides, the most famous being the beautiful Isle of Skye, refuge of ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’. Further afield are the Western Isles and to the North are the Orkneys and the even more remote Shetlands, home to a rich variety of sea birds.

Dotted all over the region are ancient historical sites, of standing stone circles dating back thousands of years and, more recently, battles and skirmishes with the English.

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