The Scottish Highlands: lochs, glens and big skies
In Scotland's rugged north, dramatic landscapes, ancient castles and deep quiet await the traveller.
In the rugged north of Scotland lie the Highlands, a region of such wild beauty and romantic desolation that it has inspired poets, painters and travellers for centuries — a land of brooding mountains, mirror lochs, deep glens and vast, empty skies.
The landscape is the star. Glen Coe, with its steep, dramatic slopes and tragic history, is among the most atmospheric valleys in Britain. The long, dark waters of Loch Ness stretch through the Great Glen, and the Isle of Skye, reached by bridge, offers some of the most spectacular scenery in the country, from jagged peaks to fairy pools and sea cliffs.
History is woven through it all, in the ruined and restored castles that stand guard over lochs and headlands, in the standing stones and ancient sites, and in the melancholy legacy of the Highland Clearances, which emptied much of the land of its people.
The Highlands are also the home of whisky, with distilleries scattered across the region offering tours and tastings of the water of life. The food has improved immeasurably, with fresh seafood, game and local produce.
The weather is famously changeable, and the midges can be fierce in summer, but these are a small price for access to one of Europe's last great wildernesses. For travellers drawn to dramatic landscapes, deep history and a profound sense of space and quiet, the Highlands cast a spell that is hard to shake.