The Scottish Highlands are the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault.

We have spectacular mountains, majestic glens and mirror-like lochs which form the perfect backdrop to our 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.

The Great Glen divides the Grampian Mountains to the southeast from the Northwest Highlands. The Highlands are popularly described as one of the most scenic regions of Europe.

The area is generally sparsely populated, with many mountain ranges dominating the region. Remarkably, given that it is part of the crowded island of Britain, the average population density in the Highlands and Islands is lower than that for Sweden, Norway, Papua New Guinea or Argentina.

Culturally the area is quite different from the Scottish Lowlands. Most of the Highlands fall into the region known as the Gàidhealtachd, pronounced roughly Gailtahk, which is, with the Western Isles, the main Gaelic speaking area of Scotland.

Some similarities exist between the culture of the Highlands and that of Ireland: examples include the Gaelic language, the sports of shinty and hurling and Celtic music, and in particular the music of the great Highland Bagpipes as played by the Band of the Ross and Cromarty Pipes and Drums School.

Of Course The Highlands are also home to the Heilan Coo and The Haggis.  You can click on the picture of The Haggis for more information about this indigenous Scottish animal. 

LINK

Highlandsofscotland.net is a guide to the services available to the traveller in the Highlands of Scotland, created by the people who provide those services. Currently 324 businesses have pages on the site. Click on http://www.highlandsofscotland.net/frameset.htm to explore their website.

Below are some photographs taken around The Cromarty Firth by local photographer, James Sanderson.  More of James' photographs of The Highlands can be seen at HIGHLAND PHOTOGRAPHS.

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SUNSET OVER THE CROMARTY FIRTH	REFLECTIONS
THE CROMARTY FIRTH FROM CNOC FYRISH	THE QUEEN MARY 2 DOCKED AT INVERGORDON