Northwest Highlands
The Northwest Highlands are a separate part of Scotland in terms of their natural features and culture . The region covers the northern third of the country and is in the Highland Council Area . The islands of the Inner and Outer Hebrides, as well as Arran and Bute , located off the west coast are usually included.
landscape
Geologically, the area of the Northwest Highlands is separated from the Grampian Mountains and thus from the southern Highlands and the rest of Scotland by the fault of the Glen More (Great Glen) . Four lakes are lined up in the Great Glen valley range: Loch Ness , Loch Oich , Loch Lochy and Loch Linnhe (from northeast to southwest). Of these, Loch Ness is the most famous body of water and one of the largest freshwater reservoirs in Britain. Between 1803 and 1822, the Caledonian Canal created a navigable connection between the Atlantic and the North Sea. However, the canal never achieved the expected economic importance.
The rugged coastline is similar to the fjord coast of Norway. The wide indentations ( Sea lochs ) and the deeply cut fjords (Firths) are just like the valleys with their numerous lochs effects of the Ice Age. On the west coast the Firth of Lorne, the Firth of Clyde and the Solway Firth are particularly noteworthy.
The inland mountain formations are much older than, for example, the Alps and are correspondingly more eroded. This explains the lack of ruggedness and the relatively low heights between 610 and 915 meters. Part of the area north of the Summer Isles in Wester Ross was officially given the status of a European Geopark in 2005 . It is the only Geopark on Scottish soil to date, the 25th in Europe and the 37th Geopark worldwide. The geoparks aim to preserve large-scale units in their geological substance.
climate
Like the entire west coast of England, the Northwest Highlands benefit from the warm Gulf Stream . Therefore, the overall temperature is more moderate than on the east side. Nevertheless, low temperatures and snowfalls are not uncommon in the mountain regions inland. Overall, westerly air currents are predominant, and heavy rainfall and sudden storms are common.
Flora and fauna
Moorheide spreads over large areas in the valleys . The vegetation in the higher areas is essentially limited to heather plants, ferns, mosses and grasses. Saxifrage , mountain pastures and other types of mountain vegetation and arctic plants can be found from around 600 meters above sea level.
The wildlife in the Northwest Highlands is characterized by a great diversity of species. Both roe and red deer are abundant. The main smaller mammals include hares , rabbits , badgers , otters , pine martens, and wild cats . The game birds that live and breed in the moorland include the red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scoticus) and the black grouse, as well as a large number of water birds, while the bird of prey species are limited to kites , ospreys and golden eagles . The Scottish rivers and lakes are known for salmon and trout, which live here in large numbers.
Mainland - localities and gardens
Major cities in the region are Inverness , Fort William , Wick , Thurso and Tain . Other localities include Ullapool , Dornoch , Lochinver and Tongue .
The coastal town of Ullapool dates back to a port established in Ross and Cromarty County for herring fishing in 1788. With around 1,300 inhabitants, it is the largest settlement in a wide area. The harbor is still the center of the town and serves as a point of contact for fishing boats and yachts as well as for the Caledonian MacBrayne ferries to Stornoway on Lewis , the main island of the Outer Hebrides.
The Inverewe Garden on the shores of Loch Ewe is one of the most northerly botanical gardens in the world. Due to its preferred location directly on the warm Gulf Stream, it can come up with a diverse planting that is completely untypical for its width. Plants thrive mainly from Australia and New Zealand ( eucalyptus ), China, Japan and the Himalayas ( rhododendron ) as well as temperate South America and North America.
Islands near the mainland
The Isle of Skye is the largest and most famous island in the Inner Hebrides. It is known for the picturesque shapes of its mountain ranges and for its rich flora, fauna and bird life. The main mountains Black Cuillins as well as the Red Hills and Blaven already appeared in the pictures of the landscape painters of the 19th century as an impressive backdrop. Today this mountain world is popular with mountaineers and mountain hikers.
Mull Island , the largest in the Inner Hebrides after Skye, consists mainly of basalt and granite; the arable land is less than ten percent. Mull is separated from the mainland by an arm of the sea three kilometers wide. The main town is Tobermory; the highest point is the Ben More with 966 m.
Staffa is a small rock island that belongs to the Inner Hebrides. It is known for the grotto called Fingals Cave. The bottom of the 113 m long cave is filled with the sea. The walls consist of rows of mostly hexagonal and 17 m high basalt columns , which seem to decrease regularly, as if in perspective, and support a huge, 76 m long vault, which consists of upper column ends.
Other islands close to the coast and therefore relatively easy to reach are Canna and Iona and Fair Isle off the east coast.
economy
The animal husbandry and the production of milk and meat products play an important economic role. Sheep are raised in the Highlands and on the islands, but above all the resilient and frugal Highland cattle are fattened. It provides high quality meat and forms a good basis for breeding. The dairy farming is of minor importance.
Salmon farming has now become an important source of income. Farmed salmon production skyrocketed from less than 1,000 tons in the early 1970s to 15,000 tons in the mid 1990s, making Scotland the world's largest supplier of farmed salmon today.
The fishing that is still practiced is mainly for various whitefish species ( cod , other cod and haddock ) and herring ; there are also crabs , crabs and lobsters . The main fishing ports on the west coast are Lerwick ( Shetland Islands ), Kinlochbervie and Ullapool.
In the context of local economic development, tourism and fishing in particular receive support.
population
The Northwest Highlands region is sparsely populated.