Scottish Highlands

This is the heart of the Highlands. Inverness the only city is a good base for visitors. Aviemore in Strathspey is a centre for skiing and exploring Cairngorms National Park, which crosses the mountains into Aberdeenshire. The lower Spey valley produces much of Scotland's finest whisky. Fort William is at the foot of Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain. Mallaig is reached by the Road to the Isles via Glenfinnan.

A straggling region, dissected by the long cold fingers of sea lochs, so the roads have to wind around and double back. Loch Lomond starts just north of Glasgow, though the best is its east bank described as part of Stirlingshire. Inveraray is a photogenic 18th century town and castle. Oban on the west coast is the ferry port for several Hebridean islands. Campbeltown is at the tip of the long Kintyre peninsula, almost within touching distance of Northern Ireland. Dunoon on the Cowal peninsula can be reached by ferry from Gourock. Isle of Bute is nominally Highland but part of Glasgow's "Costa Clyde".

The eastern part is low-lying and fertile, with the scenic peninsula of The Black Isle just over the bridge from Inverness. The west has dramatic scenery, with sharp Alp-like mountains. Ullapool is the ferry port for Stornoway on Lewis.

A sparsely populated area of moorland, and Norse rather than Scots until late Medieval times. Thurso has ferries to Stromness on Orkney. Helmsdale is a small fishing village. South in Golspie is ostentatious Dunrobin Castle.