The Scottish Highlands Travel Guide explores further the Scottish Highlands, synonymous with the picture-postcard images of Scotland incorporating the magnificent scenery, wild wildernesses, imposing mountains and forests. The Scottish Highlands do have those characteristics and its own distinctive character and charm that visitors will find is present to many areas in the UK. The Highlands offer a distinctly Scottish flavour and many see them as Scotland at its most resplendent.
Overview and Attractions
The capital of the Highlands and the only major centre in the entire region is Inverness, many visitors use this as a base upon which to explore the surrounding areas further. Wherever you happen to be in the highlands you are sure to encounter natural beauty such as the Cairngorms National Park, Glen Affric and Ben Nevis to name but a few. This is a mountainous area with many miles of coastline to see and explore too.
There is also some flatter land such as is found in Sutherland, where visitors are treated to one of the wilderness spectacles in Europe. With these surroundings, landscape and environment, wildlife truly flourishes here, wildlife enthusiasts can see whales, dolphins, otters and eagles among others.
Photography fans would be advised to ensure bringing their camera, the combination of the scenery, environment and wildlife make for a photographer’s paradise.
The awe inspiring landscape, peace and tranquillity and feeling of open space is undoubtedly one of the main attractions of the Highlands. However for the active and adventurous there are a wealth of activities that you can take part in ranging from mountaineering and climbing to water sports to off-road biking, and many others.
Fort William and Lochaber are particular hot spots in this area and have been said to be the Outdoor Capital of the UK. Those seeking an altogether slower pace of life are catered for with many historical sites, castles, towns and distinctive culture. See Visit Highlands for further information.
At the southern end of the Highlands is Fort William, it is a centre for touring the West Highlands. The area is famed for the rugged landscapes notable for their mild Atlantic climate. The Lochaber area includes some of Scotland's best mountain scenery that shows Highland grandeur at its best.
Aviemore is popular with visitors with its mountains, slopes and wide river valleys. The high plateau of the Cairngorms provides views that are ever-changing throughout the day as sun and shadow move across the hills. There are pinewoods, rocky passes and moorlands to see here. Inverness, the city in the Highlands is a thriving city that is the main settlement in the region and the centre of a transport network leading to and from all parts of the Highlands and further to the rest of the UK. Here there are excellent shopping choices including the well known retail high street brands.
Although there are variations in the Highlands landscape the mountain profiles of Skye create perhaps the greatest sense of the wow factor. They have drawn visitors to the island for a long time. Skye is joined to the mainland by the Skye Bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh. Back on the mainland Lochalsh is rugged hill country but still has a wow factor to it.
Skye and Lochalsh also have a good number of other places to visit that include including museums and castles. 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.
The Northern Highlands offer splendid variety, you will find quiet remote wildernesses along with ancient archaeological sites of Caithness. The Northern Highlands have sublime landscapes great for walkers and climbers. There are lochs to the delight of anglers who like peace and quiet.
Ballindalloch is one of the best known and beautiful castles in Scotland. It has become known as the Pearl of the North, it is located in Speyside, close to near to some famed whisky distilleries. Ballindalloch Castle is surrounded by hills and with Rivers Spey and Avon flowing through the grounds, proving a wonderful setting. Ballindalloch is a privately owned family home, it has been home to the Macpherson-Grants have resided at the castle since 1546. As a family home, it has family related memorabilia and an excellent collection of 17th century Spanish paintings.
Lochalsh Woodland Garden is worth a visit, where visitors can enjoy quiet walks by the loch-side alongside the oaks, mature Scots pine and beeches. There are collections of rhododendrons, ferns, bamboo and hydrangeas. There are sub tropical plants from both Australia and New Zealand to enjoy, Lochalsh Woodland Garden is spread over 13 acres giving visitors plenty to enjoy.
Whisky connoisseurs are well catered for in the Highlands and the Glenmorangie Whisky distillery has since 1843 been producing its world famous malt here on the shores of the Dornoch Firth. Many of the traditions remain and Glenmorangie is still handcrafted today by the Sixteen Men of Tain using the well tried and tested methods that have proved so successful from generation to generation. Visitors from around the world come to discover the way the malt whisky is made as well as being able to taste the whisky and meet the people who made the whisky.
The West Highland Museum is situated in Fort William. Known for its Jacobite collections, there are collections of local history, archaeology and geology. Other collections include the Alexander Carmichael Collection and the Charles Hepburn Jacobite Bequest. The museum dates back to 1922, the museum shop has a variety of books, old and new. There are also postcards, prints, toys and gifts.
The Cairngorms National Park has a large mountain range and is home to 25 percent of the threatened species in the UK. This beautiful wilderness gives visitors the feeling of space, tranquillity and the opportunity to appreciate and admire the natural beauty that Scotland has. In the park you will find a mixture of forests, rivers, lochs, Glens and moorlands thus there is a rich and varied landscape to enjoy.
Nature enthusiasts will enjoy the rich biodiversity present in the park, visitors will be able to see a wide range of wildlife such as the magnificent golden eagle, deer and wildcats. The national park aims to ensure a sustainable and responsible use of the natural resources and there is much conservation work done to one of the jewels in the Scottish highlands remains and continues to thrive.
For those that enjoy outdoor activities, the Scottish Highlands is fast gaining a reputation as one of the best places in the UK to indulge in your passion. The Ardenbeg Bunkhouse & Outdoor Activity Centre is one activity centre that is worth considering. The centre is a hostel providing accommodation and is based in Grantown-on-Spey near Aviemore, it provides a great base to explore the area further and also to take part in the outdoor activities on offer. The activities can be based in the mountains, forests and on the rivers and visitors can enjoy the clean air whilst surrounded by beautiful scenery. The activities on offer include climbing & mountaineering in the Cairngorm, walking in the mountains and on forest trails, canoeing & kayaking on the lochs and rivers, skiing & snowboarding at Cairngorm Mountain, cycling and mountain biking on forest trails.
Disclaimer: The information given in on this website is given in good faith and to the best of our knowledge. If there are any discrepancies in no way do we intend to mislead. Important travel details and arrangements should be confirmed and verified with the relevant authorities.
