Highland
Unitary authority in northern Scotland, created from the region bearing
the same name in 1996
Area:
26,157 sq km/10,100 sq mi (one-third of Scotland)
Towns:
Inverness (administrative headquarters), Thurso, Wick, Fort William,
Aviemore
Physical:
Mainland Highland consists of a series of glaciated ancient plateau
masses dissected by narrow glens and straths (valleys); in the
northeast (Caithness), old red sandstone rocks give a softer,
lower topography; Ben Nevis (1,343 m/4,406 ft), Cairngorm Mountains;
Loch Ness; Cuillan Hills, Skye; includes many of the Inner Hebridean
islands
Features:
Caledonian Canal; John O'Groats; Skye Road Bridge
Industries:
Winter sports, timber, aluminium smelting, pulp and paper production,
whisky distilling, cottage and croft industries
Agriculture:
Salmon fishing, sheep farming, grouse and deer hunting
Population:
(1995) 208,300
History:
Location of many key historical moments in Scottish history, including
the `massacreŽ of Glencoe, the Battle of Culloden and the Highland
Clearances.
Language
Gaelic is spoken by 7.5% of the population.
Economy
Highland is a predominantly rural area comprising of land that is agriculturally
marginal, much of which is not amenable to crops or forestry.
Subsistence economies in the form of crofting still characterize
the least accessible parts of the area. More accessible parts
are exploiting their tourist potential and the opportunities afforded
by mountain sports, for example, Aviemore and Fort William. Traditional
industries, such as whisky distilling and crafts, are sustained
by the tourist industry.
Environment
There are 356 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, 27 National Nature
Reserves, eight Ramsars (wetland sites), 16 Special Protection
Areas, three Biosphere Reserves, and 16 National Scenic Areas.
Administrative
History Prior to 1975, this area was part of the five counties of Caithness-shire,
Sutherlandshire, Ross and Cromarty, Inverness-shire, and Nairnshire.
|
Top
