The Highlands of Scotland are like a completed jigsaw of many shapes and
sizes, colours, climates and cultures. Quaint little harbour towns nestle
along a rugged coastline which wraps round an area the size of Belguim,
surrounding a land of rolling glens, deep lochs, thick forests and unspoiled
moorland. Set on the shores of the
Moray Firth, with its resident bottlenose dolphin population,
Inverness
is the areas capital, a thriving, modern city with a good communications
network.The city with its Castle and a tidal river
is only a few miles from the world-famous Loch Ness, and the glens and mountains
of an area which could easily double for a mini-Canada.
There are ruined and restored castles,
fortresses and military barracks, and the golden sands and links courses of the
world-famous golfing town of Nairn. There are also the alpine regions of the Cairngorms in Badenoch and
Strathspey, the
Monadhliath
Mountains, which edge along the Great Glen to Lochaber and
Britain
s tallest peak,
Ben Nevis.
There are regular flights from
Inverness
to
London,
Edinburgh,
Glasgow,
Manchester and Birmingham. There is also a good rail and road network between major centres of
population.
The Scottish Highlands have so much to offer - spectacular mountains,
majestic glens and mirror-like lochs form the perfect backdrop to picturesque
towns, isolated crofts, towering castles and pagoda-topped distilleries. A
startling variety of wildlife also makes its home in the sea-lochs and glens
where an unbroken thread of human history reaches back into the mists of time.
History, legend, romance and the great outdoors combine seamlessly here to
guarantee visitors a warm Highland welcome and a truely memorable holiday.
Whether you are looking for an action-packed adventure, a taste of the local
culture and history, or just complete peace and quiet, the Highlands of Scotland
is the place to come.
Northern Highlands
No-one who travels here can fail to be struck by a sense of being somewhere
different. The sheer atmosphere of these northlands makes a big impression. Yet the Northern Highlands also offer splendid variety, all the way from the
remote wildness of the austere rock-hewn landscapes of the far north west and
Wester Ross, to the quintessentially Scottish architecture of the old burgh of
Cromarty at the tip of the Black Isle or the ancient archaeological sites of
Caithness.
Getting around is easy, with roads radiating out from the natural route
centre of Inverness (never too far away) as well as "rim" roads taking
in the best of the spectacular northern seaboard. As a further bonus, some of
the best of the northern landscapes, for example mid & east Sutherland and
the Flow Country of Caithness, can be seen by train.
The Northern Highlands offer an excellent choice of things to do. Naturally,
these sublime landscapes are made for walkers and climbers. There are lochs -
all but uncountable numbers in the north-west - to satisfy anglers who love
solitude. There is a good choice of boat trips and cruises for close encounters
with sea-caves, sea-stacks, seals and dolphins - and even to a special garden
accessible only by sea. Golf, cycling, riding and watersports are all to be
found here as well.
Ultimately, however, it is the wilderness experience of the far north and its
all but empty grandeur which will leave the strongest impression.