If you’re a fan of nature as wild as it comes, add this one to your must-do road trips list. Read more in this series: Perthshire Tourist Route | Great Scottish Road Trips #12, North & West Highlands Route | Scottish Road Trips #11, Forth Valley Tourist Route | Scottish Road Trips #7, The Angus Coastal Route – Great Scottish Road Trips #2. Lochaber West (includes Small Isles) - 0-2* cases (between 0 and 41.6* infections per 100,000 people) Lochaber East and North - 0-2* (between 0 and 42.0*) SKYE Dunnet Head might be as far north as you go, but John o’Groats takes the prize for the most north-westerly point. This is a side of Scotland you can only see from the train – a Great Scenic Rail Journey that carries you north along the west coast, through the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. The Northwest Highlands are the northern third of Scotland, which is separated from the Grampian Mountains by the Great Glen. Highlands has been a mountain respite for over a century, allowing our visitors to unwind while being treated to the finest amenities. The well-trodden western coast of the Scottish Highlands is a common road trip destination for visitors to the United Kingdom. The North and West Highlands Route meanders around the coastline from Ullapool to John o’Groats along 158 miles (254km). Also called “The Queen of Scottish Mountains”, Ben Loyal rises from the North Coast of the Highlands, and this jagged granite peak is prominent on the skyline for many miles around. This one lies set in picturesque woods, just a short distance from Loch Shin. Time this Scottish road trip for outside July and August and you may be the only ones on the road. Find out more about the outdoors and leisure on VisitScotland.com. The UK’s most remote school is on the Scottish peninsula of Scoraig, which can only be reached by boat or winding coastal path and has a headcount of just five pupils. The West Highland Way, which runs from Milngavie to Fort William is a 96 mile-long hiking route that takes in some of Scotland’s most stunning sights and is a great experience for families and individuals. Separating the Highlands from the more populous central belt of Scotland, the Highland Boundary Fault runs south-west/north-east across Scotland. It's also located in one of the few temperate rainforests in North America. In traditional Scottish geography, the Highlands refers to that part of Scotland north-west of the Highland Boundary Fault, which crosses mainland Scotland in a near-straight line from Helensburgh to Stonehaven. Sporting some the world’s most stunning scenery, the region is spoilt with wonderful walks, and has one of the oldest and most fascinating histories on earth. The North West Highlands is an area of immense beauty and Forest Way is ideally situated as a base for touring the Inverpolly/Assynt or Torridon/Gairloch circuits. Inside, the lodge provides spacious accommodation for up to 13 and has all those Highland touches – think tartan, tweed, roaring fires and absolute comfort. The area is sparsely populated and spectacular. After Knockan Crag, the North and West Highlands Route curls west and hugs the coast. The Highlands also feature legendary battlefields, museums packed with rich local history and breath-taking geological wonders, not to mention many famous distilleries and breweries. A wet place, it rains on average 207 days a year in the North West Highlands. All Scottish road trips should include a castle and this one is no exception. Lots of lovely gift shops too. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in January. The Highlands are accessible by car, rail, bus and air. Offshore you may spot dolphins, basking shark and minke whale. The landscapes of the north-west Highlands are glorious all year. The vast landscape has an undulating coastline, wild expanses, rugged mountains and islands, rushing rivers, and conifer-rich woodlands – what more do you need. Stop off at the Knockan Crag National Nature Reserve, famous for being the site where scientists solved the geological mystery of plate tectonics. We have reviews of the best places to see in Scottish Highlands. UNESCO awards Geopark status to regions of international scientific importance to geology across the world where communities get together to promote and steward their landscapes for education, tourism and sustainable economic development. Once visited, it will remain with you, Loyal by name, loyal by nature. It also runs up to Inverness and east out to Elgin, taking in Aviemore and some of the Cairngorms National Park. From wildly remote cottages to seaside villages and larger settlements, like Inverness, the region has an abundance of old and new homes, with views that may make you pinch yourself. With no fewer than 47 distilleries spread across the region, the Highlands is Scotland's largest geographical whisky producing area – particularly good news if you like a dram of Scotland’s favourite drink. Our fantastic North West Highlands Walking Tour takes in ascents of some of the most iconic mountains in this stunning part of the Northwest of Scotland including Suilven, Stac Pollaidh and Cul Mor. The Highland Council has promised 50,000 affordable homes between 2018 and 2023. Not convinced you should take a Scottish road trip? As well as this, Fraserburgh is known the biggest shellfish port in Europe. Some of the oldest rocks in Europe also feature heavily (literally!) There are impressive rock islands of … The weather in the Moray Firth. In this remote region, you’ll find the highest waterfalls, biggest sea cliffs and the most unusual and spectacular mountains in Britain, along with beautiful lochs (both sea and freshwater), golden-sand beaches and some of … It reaches the North Sea at the pleasant little town of Stonehaven, … There are 258 primary and secondary schools across the Highlands. The village of Durness includes two must-sees: Smoo Cave, complete with a 50-feet high entrance, sinkhole and underground waterfalls, is the stuff of legend; and Balnakiel Craft Village established in the 60s and a thriving community of artists and artisans. The university is made up of 13 different colleges and research institutions, offering undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes across its 70 different learning centres. To the east, are the more bare, more spare, more exposed grounds of Buchan on Scotland’s north-east knuckle where the winds blow. Throw in the odd spot of kayaking, camping and skiing and it offers so much for everyone. Onwards around the Langjokull glacier on the way to Hveravellir geothermal field before emerging by the Ring Road in the north. The Highlands stretches from Fort William in the west, right up the coast by Skye, around the North Coast 500 to Durness and John O' Groats in the far north. Did you know? The airport in the region also reaches further out to Europe, with destinations such as Amsterdam, Dublin and Belfast. The drive now leaves the west coast behind and hits the northern shoreline. She used it as a holiday home until 1996 and you can visit her rooms that often surprise with their “comfort and ordinariness”. If the great outdoors is not enough to fill your boots, kick back in the area’s luxurious hotels and resorts. Since 2008/09, more than 1,000 council houses and flats have been completed or are under development in the Highlands. Across the causeway bridge is Strathnaver Museum where you can discover the history of croft life and learn about the infamous Highland Clearances when hundreds of locals were forcibly evicted in the early 1800s. See the science in the Rock Room and then step outside for the dramatic geology itself and yet more stunning landscapes. Self Guided+ Cycling – North Coast 500; Wilderness Walking – Wilds of Assynt; Sea Kayaking – The Scottish Highlands; Sea Kayaking – Introduction Course; Sea Kayaking – The Summer Isles; Open Canoeing – North West Highlands; Road Cycling – The North Coast 500 – Highlights; Photography – Assynt and Coigach North West Highlands. If you’re a fan of nature as wild as it comes, add this one to your must-do road trips list. The brilliant aspect of staying in the Highlands is there a wide choice of accommodation to suit all budgets. Start your search. The Castle and Gardens of Mey with its typically Scottish turrets enjoys a privileged spot overlooking Pentland Firth. North and West Highlands Length 158 miles / 254 km Location Ullapool – John o'Groats. The actual driving comes scenic all the way and along some of the quietest roads anywhere in Europe. September - The Wild North Festival, various locations, North Highlands Three wild weekends of outdoor fun in the Highlands, including forest walks, archaeology, whale and dolphin watching and fossil hunting. The North West Highlands UNESCO Global Geopark offers one of the best opportunities to explore wild places in Europe. That said, the route lies dotted with quaint villages and some great things to do. North West Highlands Geopark Limited is a social enterprise and a charity which re-invests profits to ensure ongoing development of geo-tourism projects, conservation and … The Cairngorms National Park lies at the heart of this region, offering everything from stunning hiking routes to ice climbing, skiing, snowboarding and so much more. The line of the well known verse states “speed bonny boat, over the sea to Skye”; but nowadays, there is a bridge for the main west coast route onto the island. Introduction: The North West Highlands Geopark is located in the far north of the Scottish mainland. The area is divided in two parts: the Great Glen divides the Grampian Mountains to the southeast from the northwest Highlands 3. Don’t miss the beautiful Pictish Farr Stone whose elaborate carvings date back to 800AD. Think vast open landscapes and lots (and lots) of water, both sea and lochs, along with lofty mountains. It has the UK’s highest mountains, ranging from 900-1300m 4. derstanding. 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