Know Before You Go: Guidance for travel in Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Highlands

Huge, wild and beautiful, the Highlands are, for many, what Scotland is all about.

Scottish Highlands, Scotland

HIGHLANDS - AT A GLANCE

It’s about spotting Highland Cows roaming heather-wreathed glens, it’s taking a sip of golden whisky as you look out over the surface of a deep mysterious loch and it's about getting away from it all. The Highlands span from the wild West Coast and its myriad islands to the pristine forests and soaring peaks of the Cairngorms, making this corner of Britain as beautiful and atmospheric as it gets.

Outdoorsy-types love its varied mountain landscapes, especially Ben Nevis in the west - the highest mountain in the United Kingdom at 1,344m above sea level. You’ll find two National Parks here: the Cairngorms, and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. With mountains, stretches of coastline, and many marvelous lochs including the famed Loch Ness, the Highlands can easily be described as nature's playground.

This ancient land has no shortage on beautiful castles including Eilean Donan Castle, Urquhart Castle, and Dunvegan Castle. The gorgeous Isle of Skye can be reached by ferry and has castles and gardens to explore.

The Highlands spans the north of Scotland, above the Highland Boundary Fault and is about a 3 hour drive from Edinburgh. The most convenient route from London in is to fly direct to the city of Inverness, which takes 1 hour and 30 minutes.