Scottish Highlands
Highland Mighty: Get off the beaten track in Scotland's wild north
Daniel Allen
The Scottish Highlands truly are the Scotland of one's imagination - a beautiful and inspiring region of dramatic landscapes, pristine nature and ancient history. From the mesmerizing glow of an eastern shore sunset to the raw beauty of a west coast mountain range, and in all the vastness around and between, can be found wonderful, exhilarating adventures or energy-restoring tranquility. For those who want to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life, look no further than this wild, magical land.
Attractions
Visitors to the Highlands today can observe ospreys and capercaillie in their natural habitat, spot seals, dolphins and otters from the shore or a boat, watch seabirds dive for food or nest high in cliffs and marvel at the majestic Monarch of the Glen (a huge stag), running free over the high hills. Visitors may be surprised at just how remote much of the Highlands still is - the vast peat bogs in the north, for example, are among the most extensive and unspoilt wilderness areas in Europe.
The Scottish Highlands boast championship standard golf courses, world class mountain biking tracks, high range gondolas, winding forest trails and secluded beaches to rival any tropical shore. Whether you wander for miles across sandy dunes, hike across rugged mountain ranges, stand thigh deep in the waters of the greatest salmon rivers in the world, follow whisky, castle, coastal or Pictish trails, explore local folk tales, histories, dramas and romances, or simply sit by a peat fire with a dram in your hand, this region at the top of Scotland has something for everyone.
Highland Wildlife
The Scottish Highlands are rugged and beautiful. However, since they are so mountainous, the 250,000 people who live here are spread thinly. The Highlands are one of the best places to go for Scottish culture since it is distinctly different from the rest of Scotland - the highland communities have a much stronger sense of their inherited culture than the lowlands and many highlanders still speak the Gaelic language.
There are many small villages and towns in the Highlands, as well as a big city in the form of Inverness, and some islands which are inhabited. Some of the smaller villages have become craft-orientated over the years and visitors frequently find some real treasures. Because of the vast variations in landscape there are big differences in climate throughout the region. This means a wide range of habitats and an even wider array of wildlife - red deer, red squirrel, pine marten, osprey, otter, harbour seal, golden eagle, sea eagle, capercaillie, bottle-nosed dolphin and killer whale all call the Highlands and their offshore waters home.
Cairngorm & Monadhliath Mountains
South of Inverness, the Strathspey region, with a string of villages lying along the River Spey, is dominated by the dramatic Cairngorm mountains, an area brimming with attractive scenery and opportunities for outdoor activity. Set against the spectacular backdrop of the Cairngorms is Aviemore, one of the most elaborate holiday centres in Scotland, with skiing facilities open all winter.
The Monadhliath mountains lie between Strathspey and Loch Ness, the largest and most famous of the necklace of lochs which make up the Great Glen, an ancient geological fault line which cuts southwest across the region from Inverness to the town of Fort William.
Sonar and underwater cameras have been used by experts to investigate the mystery of the frequent Loch Ness monster sightings. Most involved seem to agree that not one, but several, large aquatic creatures might roam the murky depths of Loch Ness. Visitors will need to keep their eyes peeled - seven rivers feed this loch, bringing in millions of peat particles which reduce visibility to zero below 12 metres.
Near Fort William rises Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain, at 4,406 feet (1,344 metres). From Loch Leven, historic Glen Coe cuts east through an impressive mountain range. In the steep valley here visitors will find a memorial to the 1692 massacre of the MacDonalds by the Campbell clan.
Whisky Trail
Along the beautiful valley of the River Spey are slate-roofed buildings with pagoda chimneys. Here they produce the finest of all the fine Scotch whiskies, or so the local enthusiasts insist. The Malt Whisky Trail here takes in seven distilleries where you can watch malt being distilled by a process that has remained virtually unchanged for 500 years.
Contact the local tourist offices to check when the distilleries accommodate visitors and when they're closed. Lucky visitors at the Speyside Cooperage can watch a cooper (cask maker) fashioning oak staves into a cask - by law a spirit can't be called "whisky" until it has been aged in oak for three years.
Inverness & Around
In the Highlands, all roads lead to Inverness, capital of the Highlands since the days of the ancient Picts. About five miles east of the city is Culloden Moor, where Bonnie Prince Charlie's Highlanders and the Jacobite cause were defeated by "Butcher" Cumberland's redcoats in battle in 1746. Between Inverness and Nairn is Cawdor Castle. This fortress home of the Earls of Cawdor is the setting Shakespeare used for the murder of Duncan by Macbeth, although it was actually constructed two centuries after Macbeth's time.
Representing the wild and romantic essence of a remote Scottish fortress, the idyllic Eilean Donan Castle graces a thousand postcards and is famous throughout the world. Probably the most photographed castle in Britain, it is located on a small island in Loch Duich. Reached by a narrow spit of land, the castle was besieged on several occasions. There are fine furnishings in the interior, but Eilean Donan's fabulous location is the main draw.
Highland Games
Highland games are events held throughout the year in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Highlands. Certain aspects of the games are so well known as to have become emblematic of Scotland, such as the bagpipes, the kilt, and the heavy events, especially the caber toss. While centred on competitions in piping and drumming, dancing, and Scottish heavy athletics, the games also include entertainment and exhibits related to other aspects of Scottish and Gaelic culture.
The Cowal Highland Gathering, better known as the Cowal Games, held in Dunoon, every August, is the largest Highland games in the world, attracting around 3,500 competitors and over 20,000 spectators from around the world.
Access
Inverness is the only city in the Scottish Highlands. Inverness Airport is at Dalcross, seven miles east of town.
Inverness Station has rail services to Edinburgh Waverley Station (between 3-4 hours depending on the service) in Edinburgh from where there are intercity services to King's Cross Station in London with East Coast via Newcastle and York. There are also trains to Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Airport (TransPennine Express) and Birmingham New Street.
Local and mainline services from Inverness Station include trains to Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow (3 hours, 40 minutes), and Perth (2 hours) with ScotRail. There are local trains to Wick (approx. 4 hours), Thurso (approx. 3 hours, 45 minutes) and Kyle of Lochalsh (2 hours, 30 minutes).
The spectacular West Highland Railway runs from Glasgow (Queen Street Station) to Mallaig via Fort William.
It's definitely worth renting a car if you want to get to some of the more off-the-beaten track places but the Highlands do have a network of postbuses (http://www.royalmail.com/you-home/your-community/postbus).
Maps
Accommodation
Inverness is the logical place to base yourself for an exploration of the Highlands.
The city has a wide range of accommodation options on offer.
Hotels in Inverness include the Royal Highland Hotel, the four star Mercure Inverness Hotel and the three star Best Western Inverness Palace Hotel & Spa on Ness Walk.
See a list of hotels in Inverness.
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