Scottish Highlands

The Highlands, including Highlands of Scotland or Scottish Highlands (Gaelic: A'Ghaidhealtachd ) called, are the mountains in the north of Scotland. They are distinguished from the deeper Lowlands by a clearly recognizable from the air line running southwest -northeast of Ardmore on the Firth of Clyde through the southern Loch Lomond ( Inchmurrin / Balmaha ) and continue to Stonehaven on the North Sea. The management unit Highland forms only a part of the geographic Highlands.

The Highlands are through the rift valley the Great Glen ( glen is the Scottish word for valley ) in the North West Highlands and divides the Grampian Mountains. Along the Great Glen there are several lakes, including Loch Ness. The highest mountain in the British Isles, Ben Nevis ( 1344 m), is located in the Grampian Mountains.

The Highlands were the English influence is less exposed than the Lowlands. Thus, they have preserved more of the own cultural character. In particular, the clan structure is in the Highlands still partially alive or revived. Today, it is also preserved for tourism. Your clan and the whiskey production have made the Highlands world famous.

The present appearance of the Highlands ( wide, treeless and uninhabited areas) is largely a result of the Highland Clearances, the expulsion of the indigenous population in the period 1762-1884.

Whiskey

The majority of Scotch whiskey is distilled in the Highlands. As a whiskey region, the Highlands are often divided into the Northern, Western, Southern and Eastern Highlands and Islands. Although geographically belonging to the Highlands, Speyside whiskey is considered separately and not counted for whiskey Highlands. In Speyside, naming is not always uniform, as some distilleries, which are actually located in Speyside, Whisky than their Highland Malt call.