27 Feb 2017

The Highlands

A river runs through a moorland valley, surrounded by tall mountains. In the foreground, it plunges over a long rocky drop, creating a white waterfall.

Falls of Glomach

The Highlands of Scotland are unforgettable. With towering mountains, deep lochs, rocky coastlines and ancient woodlands, the wildness of the Highlands is contrasted perfectly by the warmth of the people and the welcoming towns and villages.

Crofting is an important part of the traditional Highland way of life and is still very much in evidence at Balmacara Estate on the beautiful Lochalsh peninsula. Over in Morayshire, Brodie Castle reveals what life was like for one of Scotland’s most ancient clans in their grand, 400-year-old ancestral home.

Corrieshalloch Gorge is one of the natural wonders of the Highlands – a torrent of water rushing down a steep, tree-covered ravine. The Falls of Glomach is another dizzying waterfall, although harder to reach as it involves a 6 hour hike there and back.

Towering mountains are reflected in the still clear waters of a loch.

Get away from it all and enjoy outstanding scenery, amazing glimpses of wildlife in its natural environment and adrenaline-boosting outdoor activities.

The National Trust for Scotland properties of Kintail & Morvich, Torridon and West Affric are all well off the beaten track – and that is their overriding attraction. If you want to get away from it all and enjoy outstanding scenery, amazing glimpses of wildlife in its natural environment and adrenaline-boosting outdoor activities, these properties have it all.

Scotland’s history is pulled sharply into focus at Glenfinnan Monument, where Charles Edward Stuart raised his father’s standard at the start of the final Jacobite Rising. And the end result of this campaign is remembered at Culloden Battlefield, where the visitor centre uses modern technology and living history events to tell the stories of soldiers on both sides who fought in this bloody battle.

A large table showing a map of the battlefield at Culloden. People stand around the outside, looking down at it.

Culloden visitor centre

Glencoe, site of the infamous massacre in 1692, also provides a reminder of Scotland’s sometimes tragic past. But Glencoe is also famous as the home of Scottish mountaineering – its awe-inspiring peaks have long exerted a powerful fascination for climbers and walkers.

Hugh Miller’s Birthplace Cottage & Museum on the Black Isle commemorates the life, knowledge and discoveries of one of the great Scots of the 19th century. Although now little known, Hugh Miller, a man of humble beginnings, was considered one of the most eminent Scots of his time.

Another great Scot was Osgood Mackenzie, who created the botanical paradise of Inverewe Garden on a rocky outcrop in the West Highlands. Over 100 years later the garden continues to thrive, and you can now visit Inverewe House to discover more about this amazing – and determined – plant collector.