Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business 
The Scottish Highlands cover the mountainous north and west of Scotland, a sparsely populated region of glens, lochs, moorland and rugged coast. Its history is bound up with the clan system, the Jacobite risings and the Highland Clearances, which emptied many glens of their people. Gaelic place names, ruined castles and small crofting communities still reflect that past.
Glen Coe is one of the most dramatic valleys in the country, and nearby Fort William sits beneath Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain, with Glen Nevis offering gentler walks. To the west, Glenfinnan has a monument to the 1745 Jacobite rising and the curved railway viaduct familiar from film. The Great Glen leads to Loch Ness and the ruins of Urquhart Castle, and on to Inverness, the region's main town, close to the Culloden Battlefield. Eilean Donan Castle stands on a tidal island on the road to Skye. Inland, Cairngorms National Park protects high plateaus and forests, while the far northwest offers Inverewe Garden in Wester Ross and the strange, isolated peaks of Assynt, including Stac Pollaidh.
The Highlands reward road trippers and walkers who allow plenty of time. Many roads are single track with passing places. Midges can be troublesome in summer, and winter brings short days and snow on the hills.
WiserMap travel guideScottish Highlands Glen Coe Loch Ness and Ben NevisPlan a Scottish Highlands trip: Glen Coe, Ben Nevis, Glenfinnan, Loch Ness, Culloden, Eilean Donan, the Cairngorms and the wild northwest coast.Read the guide
Eilean Donan Castle stands on a small tidal island where three sea lochs meet near Dornie, linked to the shore by a stone footbridge. Rebuilt in the early 1900s on medieval ruins, it has furnished rooms, a banqueting hall and kitchen displays. It is on the road to Skye. Visit early to beat the tour buses.
Loch Ness is a long, deep freshwater loch in the Great Glen, famous for the legend of Nessie. The ruins of Urquhart Castle sit on a headland above the water, with a visitor center, a short film and a tower to climb for views along the loch. Boat cruises leave from nearby piers. Book castle tickets online.
Dunrobin Castle near Golspie is the fairy-tale seat of the Earls and Dukes of Sutherland, with turrets in the French style and over 180 rooms. You can tour many furnished rooms, walk the formal gardens modeled on Versailles and watch falconry displays on the lawn. It is open from spring to autumn.
Glen Coe is a dramatic glen of steep mountains such as Buachaille Etive Mor and the Three Sisters, on the A82 between Glasgow and Fort William. The National Trust for Scotland visitor center explains the 1692 massacre and the geology. Short walks include the Lost Valley. Lay-bys fill early in summer.
Ben Nevis, rising above Fort William, is the highest mountain in the UK at 1,345 meters. The Mountain Track to the summit takes most of a day, while Glen Nevis below offers easy walks such as the gorge path to Steall Falls. The weather on top can be harsh even in summer, so bring full waterproofs.
Cairngorms National Park is the UK's largest national park, a high plateau of mountains, pine forest and lochs around Aviemore. Visitors hike, cycle, ski, spot red squirrels and ospreys, and ride the Strathspey Steam Railway. Loch Morlich has a sandy beach. Aviemore is the main base for services.
Assynt in the far northwest has strange isolated mountains rising from a land of lochs and rock, including Suilven and Stac Pollaidh. A popular path of about two to three hours circles Stac Pollaidh with great views. Lochinver is the village base. Roads are single-track with passing places, so drive slowly.
Glenfinnan sits at the head of Loch Shiel, where the Glenfinnan Monument marks the raising of Bonnie Prince Charlie's standard in 1745. The curved Glenfinnan Viaduct nearby is famous from the Harry Potter films, and the Jacobite steam train crosses it in season. Check train times and walk up to the viewpoint early.
Inverness is the main city of the Highlands, with a red sandstone castle above the River Ness and pleasant walks to the Ness Islands. Culloden Battlefield, east of the city, is where the Jacobite rising ended in 1746; its visitor center has an immersive battle film and you can walk the moor among clan stones.
Inverewe Garden near Poolewe is a lush garden created in the 1860s on a bare headland, where the warm Gulf Stream lets subtropical plants grow far north. Paths wind through woodland and a walled garden with sea views. Wester Ross around it has beaches and mountains along the North Coast 500 route.
The Bealach na Ba is a single-track mountain pass climbing to 626 meters with tight hairpin bends, among the steepest roads in Britain. It leads to the remote Applecross peninsula, with views to Skye and the Applecross Inn known for seafood. It is not suitable for large vehicles or learner drivers, and closes in snow.
The Highland Wildlife Park near Kincraig, run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, houses animals of cold and mountain regions, including polar bears, snow leopards, wolves and Scottish wildcats. A drive-through reserve has bison, deer and wild horses. Allow two to three hours and visit early for active animals.
No reviews yet. Been to Scottish Highlands? Be the first to share your experience.
Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.
Log in to write a reviewBeen to Scottish Highlands? Add your best shots to the gallery.
Log in to add photosPhoto: Colin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Richard Haworth , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Gareth James , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Daniel Kraft, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Eusebius, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Julian Paren, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Syxaxis Photography, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: dave conner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Alexandre Dulaunoy from Les Bulles, Chiny, Belgium, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Mehmet Karatay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: paddy patterson from glasgow, scotland, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Mick Knapton at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: LacZ, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Florian Fuchs, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: DeFacto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Charlie Marshall, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Charlie Marshall, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Azerifactory, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Charlie Marshall, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Simon Höger, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Diliff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Eusebius, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Eusebius, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Eusebius, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Daniel Kraft, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Pastor Sam, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: BIG ALBERT, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Paasikivi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Dunrobin_Castle_-Sutherland_-Scotland-26May2008.jpg: jack_spellingbacon derivati, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: jack_spellingbacon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: John Haslam, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: jack_spellingbacon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Colin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Daniel Kraft, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Matthew Prior, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Yair Haklai, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Enric, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Enric, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Enric, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Enric, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: TXGemGem, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Thomas Andy Branson, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Lisa Nicvert, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Thomas Andy Branson, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Andrew Tryon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Shimones93, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Andrew Tryon , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Andrew Tryon , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Saadtowheed, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Sexy Simon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Dave Conner from Inverness, Scotland, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Dave Conner from Inverness, Scotland, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Dave Conner from Inverness, Scotland, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Dave Conner from Inverness, Scotland, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: S. Rae from Scotland, UK, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Aaronsneddon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
