Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Introduction to
Scottish Highlands
& Islands
Wild and weather-beaten, the Scottish Highlands and Islands feel another
world compared to the pastoral character of much of Great Britain. Closer to
the Arctic Circle than London in places, this is a land where the elements
govern much of everyday life and the shipping forecast is more than just
an aural sleeping pill. The scenery is raw and magnificent, shaped over
thousands of years by geological forces, glaciers and the weather systems of
the North Atlantic. Yet, experience a glorious sunset that turns the sea lochs
gold or find yet another empty white-powder beach, and you'll discover the
romance of the place, too. Sure, the roads can be tortuous and the weather
can be grim. And let's not even start on the midges in high summer. But
when the mood takes it, the Highlands and Islands has a unique glory to
make the soul sing.
Although escapism accounts for much of the area's appeal, it's impossible to travel in
the Highlands and Islands without being touched by the fragility of life here. The
Jacobite defeat at Culloden in 1746 was a blow to Scottish pride generally, but it was
an unmitigated disaster for the Highlands and Islands, signalling the destruction of
the Highland clan system and ultimately the entire Highland way of life. The
Clearances that followed in the nineteenth century more than halved the population,
and even today the Highland landscape is littered with the shells of pre-Clearance
crofting communities. The economy struggles, too, despite government and European
Union subsidies, and while recent census figures in 2013 reveal a rise in population,
some of the larger islands such as Bute, Arran and Islay have suffered depopulation as
the traditional Highland industries of farming, crofting and fishing no longer provide
enough jobs for the younger generation. Forestry, fish-farming and the oil industry
ABOVE EILEAN DONAN CASTLE; GOAT FELL OPPOSITE BEACH ON TIREE
 
 
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