Scottish Highlands

This article pertains to the geographic region of the Scottish Highlands. See Highlands and Highlander for alternate meanings

The Scottish Highlands are the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault. It is 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. Regional administrative centres include Inverness. The Highland Council is the administrative body for around 40% of this area; the remainder is divided between the council areas of Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Moray, Perth and Kinross, and Stirling. Although the Isle of Arran administratively belongs to North Ayrshire, its northern part is generally regarded as part of the Highlands.

History

Culture

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 was, within the last hundred years, the Gaelic speaking area of Scotland. The terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but have slightly different meanings. Highland English is also widely spoken.

Some similarities exist between the culture of the Highlands and that of Ireland: examples include the Gaelic language, sport (shinty/hurling), and Celtic music. Highland music, which is similar to Irish traditional music, often reflects an (historical) antipathy to the English which is less commonly seen amongst Lowland Scots.

Religion

The Scottish Reformation, begun in the Lowlands, achieved only partial success in the Gaelic-speaking Highlands. Roman Catholicism remained strong in certain parts, aided by Irish Franciscan missionaries who regularly came to the area to perform Mass, as they shared a similar lanuage.

Historical geography

In traditional Scottish geography, the Highlands refers to that part of Scotland north-west of a line drawn from Dumbarton to Stonehaven, including the Inner and Outer Hebrides, parts of Perthshire and the County of Bute, but excluding Orkney and Shetland, Caithness, the flat coastal land of the Counties of Nairnshire, Morayshire and Banffshire, and most of East Aberdeenshire. This Highland area differed from the Lowlands by language and tradition, having preserved Gaelic speech and customs centuries after the anglicization of the latter. The cultural distinction between Highlander and Lowlander is first noted towards the end of the 14th century. The City of Inverness is usually regarded as the capital of the Highlands. However, there are several definitions of the Highland line, which create further confusion.

Highland council area

The Highland council area, created as one of the local government regions of Scotland in 1975, has been a unitary council area since 1996. The council area excludes a large chunk of the southern and eastern Highlands, and the Western Isles, but includes Caithness. Highlands is sometimes used, however, as a name for the council area, as in Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service. Northern, as in Northern Constabulary, is also used to refer to the area covered by the fire and rescue service. This area consists of the Highland council area and the island council areas of Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.

Highland council signs in the Pass of Drumochter, between Glen Garry and Dalwhinnie, saying "Welcome to the Highlands", are still regarded as controversial.

Highlands and Islands

Much of the Scottish Highlands area overlaps the Highlands and Islands area. An electoral region called Highlands and Islands is used in elections to the Scottish Parliament: this area includes Orkney and Shetland, as well as the Highland local government area, the Western Isles and most of the Argyll and Bute and Moray local government areas. Highlands and Islands has, however, different meanings in different contexts. It means Highland (the local government area), Orkney, Shetland, and the Western Isles in Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service. Northern, as in Northern Constabulary, refers to the same area as that covered by the fire and rescue service.

Highland Park

Highland Park is a single malt Scotch whisky, which is distilled in Orkney, which is not part of either the administrative area of Highland nor the Scottish Highlands. However, Orkney along with Western Isles and the Shetlands, is grouped together with the Highlands when it comes to economic development; under the umbrella of the Highlands & Islands Enterprise.

Geology

The Highlands consist of an old dissected plateau, or block, of ancient crystalline rocks with incised valleys and lochs carved by the action of mountain streams and by ice, the resulting topography being a wide area of irregularly distributed mountains whose summits have nearly the same height above sea-level, but whose bases depend upon the amount of denudation to which the plateau has been subjected in various places.

Towns and villages

Aberfeldy, Aboyne, Alness, Altnaharra, Applecross, Aultbea, Aviemore,
Back of Keppoch, Ballachulish, Beauly, Blair Atholl, Braemar
Cannich,Coldbackie,Crianlarich, Cromarty Culbokie
Dalwhinnie, Dingwall, Dornie, Dornoch, Durness
Fort Augustus, Fort William
Gairloch, Glencoe, Glenelg
Inveraray, Invermoriston, Inverness (a city since 2001)
Killin, Kingussie, Kinlochleven, Kinlochewe, Kinloch Rannoch, Kyle of Lochalsh
Lochcarron, Lochinver
Mallaig
Nairn, Newtonmore, North Ballachulish, Nethy Bridge
Oban
Plockton, Poolewe, Portmahomack
Shieldaig, South Ballachulish, Strathpeffer, Strathy
Tain, Taynuilt, Thurso, Tobermory, Tomintoul, Tongue, Torridon
Ullapool
Wick

Other places of interest

Historic names of areas in the Highlands include:

Gallery of Images

Image:Loch Gairloch.jpg|Loch Gairloch Image:Kyle of Durness.jpg|The Kyle of Durness. Image:Eilann Donan Castle.jpg|Eilean Donan Castle, at Dornie near Kyle of Lochalsh. Image:Lochan Stones, Rannoch Moor.jpg|Lochan Stones on Rannoch Moor. Image:Loch Long.jpg|Loch Long Image:Scotland single track road.jpg|A Single Track Road, bear Aultivullin. Image:Blaven geograph.jpg|Blaven. Image:Inverness Ness Footbridge 15760.JPG|Inverness Image:Loch Maree.jpg|The islands of Loch Maree. Image:Smoo Cave Interior.jpg|The interior of Smoo Cave, Sutherland. Image:Cape Wrath lighthouse.jpg|Cape Wrath Lighthouse in the far NW of the Highlands. Image:Glenfinnan Viaduct from below.jpg|The Glenfinnan Viaduct from below.

External Links

Geography of Scotland | Mountains and hills of Scotland

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