The Scottish Highlands

The Scottish Highlands

The Scottish Highlands were created millions of years ago, when Europe and North America, having been one huge landmass, began to move apart and the distinct regions reflect their different underlying geology: sandstone, limestone, granite and basalt.

Ben Nevis, which lies within the Lochaber region of Scotland, is the highest mountain in the British Isles, reaching 1,344 meters (4,410 feet), and overlooks the beautiful valley of Glen Nevis. This is an area as popular with serious climbers and hikers as it is with amateurs, but hiking up Ben Nevis is certainly a serious undertaking, and the barren summit of the mountain is often shrouded with thick, cold mist. The lower slopes are covered in native pine, oak and beech and home to many different kinds of wildlife. Farther up, the trees give way to moorland hosting wild thyme and bilberries. Near the summit only the toughest lichens and mosses can survive the near artic conditions that prevail in winter. In winter, the areas round Aviemore and Glencoe are popular for skiing and snowboarding.

Soaring peaks, broken boulders tumbling down sheer rock faces, dark glens and forbidding castles, sparkling streams and purple heather, golden eagles and deer - all this and more makes up this majestic part of the world.