Holiday in Scottish Highlands

What makes Scottish Highlands special as a destination?

The Scottish Highlands are one of the last great wildernesses in Europe — a primordial landscape of misty mountains, dark lochs, lonely moors, and rugged coastlines that stretch across the entire north of Scotland. Here, more red deer live than people, and there is not a single road for hundreds of square kilometers. The Highlands are home to whisky distilleries, clan castles, the Loch Ness Monster, and some of the most dramatic landscapes in the world. Loch Ness, the most famous lake in the world, is 37 kilometers long, up to 230 meters deep, and (allegedly) houses the legendary monster Nessie. The ruins of Urquhart Castle on the west shore offer the classic Loch Ness view, and the Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit documents the monster search since 1933. Scientifically, Loch Ness is fascinating: it contains more freshwater than all the lakes in England and Wales combined. The Isle of Skye is Scotland's most fairy-tale-like island: the Old Man of Storr, a 50-meter high rock needle on the Trotternish Peninsula, the Fairy Pools with their crystal-clear turquoise water, the Quiraing with its surreal rock formations, and the Cuillin Mountains create a landscape reminiscent of a fantasy film. Since the bridge was built in 1995, Skye is easily accessible by car. Ben Nevis (1,345 m) is the highest mountain in Great Britain: the normal route (Mountain Track) is a challenging day hike (7-9 hours) that offers a panorama over the entire western Highlands in good weather. The north face, on the other hand, is one of the largest climbing walls in Great Britain. The whisky distilleries of the Highlands and the Speyside region are a paradise for connoisseurs: over 50 distilleries offer tours and tastings. The Malt Whisky Trail in Speyside connects nine distilleries, including Glenfiddich, Macallan, and Glenlivet. Each region — Speyside, Islay, Highland, Lowland — has its own character.