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Highland (council area)
Encyclopedia
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands
and is the largest local government area in both Scotland
and the United Kingdom
as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray
, Aberdeenshire
, Perth and Kinross
, and Argyll and Bute
. Their councils, and those of Angus
and Stirling
, also have areas of the Scottish Highlands within their administrative boundaries. The Highland area covers most of the mainland and inner-Hebridean
parts of the former counties
of Inverness-shire
and Ross and Cromarty
, all of Sutherland
, Caithness
and Nairnshire, and small parts of Argyll
and Moray.
, with an elected council for the whole region and, in addition, elected councils for each of eight districts, Badenoch and Strathspey, Caithness, Inverness, Lochaber, Nairn, Ross and Cromarty, Skye and Lochalsh and Sutherland. The act also abolished county and burgh
councils. In 1996, under the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994, the Highland Regional Council and the district councils were wound up and their functions were transferred to a new Highland Council. The Highland Council adopted the districts as management areas and created area committee
s to represent them. However, the boundaries of committee areas ceased to be aligned exactly with those of management areas as a result of changes to ward boundaries in 1999. Ward boundaries changed again in 2007, and the management areas and related committees have now been abolished in favour of three new corporate management areas, Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross; Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey; and Ross, Skye and Lochaber. The names of these areas are also names of constituencies
, but boundaries are different.
To many people within the area, using the name Highland as a noun sounds wrong. Dingwall
in Highland, for example, sounds strange and is not idiomatic usage
. To refer specifically to the area covered by the council, people tend to say the Highland Council area or the Highland area or the Highland region. Otherwise they tend to use the traditional county names, such as Ross-shire. Highlands sometimes refers to the Highland council area (as in Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service
). More usually, however, it refers to a somewhat larger or overlapping area. Northern
(as in Northern Constabulary
) is also used to refer to the area covered by the Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service (which includes the island council areas of Orkney, Shetland and Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles).
The Highland Council headquarters is located in Inverness
with most previous district council offices retained as outstations.
s by the single transferable vote
system of election
, to produce a form of proportional representation
in a council of 80 members.
of the council was on 3 May 2007, and resulted in a so-called Independent Group and Scottish National Party
(SNP) coalition administration. The SNP withdrew from the coalition in June 2008, and an Independent Group, Liberal Democrat and Labour
coalition was formed in August 2008.
Although consisting largely of former independent councillors, the Independent Group functions as a party, with Councillor Sandy Park as its leader and members accepting what is effectively a party whip
. The process of collapse of the Sandy Park group and SNP coalition also produced an Independent Members Group consisting of councillors who are outside the Sandy Park group and outside the ruling coalition.
In February 2010 yet another independent group outside the ruling coalition was formed, the Independent Alliance Group. Since then, political representation has been as follows:
the Highland area is within the Highlands and Islands electoral area
, which elects eight first past the post constituency
Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)
and seven additional member MSPs. Three of the region's constituencies, each electing one MSP, are within the Highland area: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
, Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber
and Ross, Skye and Inverness West
.
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
the Highland area is represented by Members of Parliament (MPs)
elected from three constituencies
: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
; Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
; and Ross, Skye and Lochaber
. Each constituency elects one MP by the first past the post system of election.
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
and is the largest local government area in both Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
, Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
, Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre...
, and Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute is both one of 32 unitary council areas; and a Lieutenancy area in Scotland. The administrative centre for the council area is located in Lochgilphead.Argyll and Bute covers the second largest administrative area of any Scottish council...
. Their councils, and those of Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
and Stirling
Stirling (council area)
Stirling is one of the 32 unitary local government council areas of Scotland, and has a population of about 87,000 . It was created under the Local Government etc Act 1994 with the boundaries of the Stirling district of the former Central local government region, and it covers most of the former...
, also have areas of the Scottish Highlands within their administrative boundaries. The Highland area covers most of the mainland and inner-Hebridean
Inner Hebrides
The Inner Hebrides is an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which enjoy a mild oceanic climate. There are 36 inhabited islands and a further 43 uninhabited Inner Hebrides with an area greater than...
parts of the former counties
Counties of Scotland
The counties of Scotland were the principal local government divisions of Scotland until 1975. Scotland's current lieutenancy areas and registration counties are largely based on them. They are often referred to as historic counties....
of Inverness-shire
Inverness-shire
The County of Inverness or Inverness-shire was a general purpose county of Scotland, with the burgh of Inverness as the county town, until 1975, when, under the Local Government Act 1973, the county area was divided between the two-tier Highland region and the unitary Western Isles. The Highland...
and Ross and Cromarty
Ross and Cromarty
Ross and Cromarty is a variously defined area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. There is a registration county and a lieutenancy area in current use...
, all of Sutherland
Sutherland
Sutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...
, Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
and Nairnshire, and small parts of Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
and Moray.
Geography
The area was created as a two-tier region in 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973
The Local Government Act 1973 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in Scotland, on May 16, 1975....
, with an elected council for the whole region and, in addition, elected councils for each of eight districts, Badenoch and Strathspey, Caithness, Inverness, Lochaber, Nairn, Ross and Cromarty, Skye and Lochalsh and Sutherland. The act also abolished county and burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
councils. In 1996, under the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994, the Highland Regional Council and the district councils were wound up and their functions were transferred to a new Highland Council. The Highland Council adopted the districts as management areas and created area committee
Area committee
Many large local government councils in the United Kingdom have a system of area committees, with responsibility for services in a particular part of the area covered by the council....
s to represent them. However, the boundaries of committee areas ceased to be aligned exactly with those of management areas as a result of changes to ward boundaries in 1999. Ward boundaries changed again in 2007, and the management areas and related committees have now been abolished in favour of three new corporate management areas, Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross; Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey; and Ross, Skye and Lochaber. The names of these areas are also names of constituencies
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
, but boundaries are different.
To many people within the area, using the name Highland as a noun sounds wrong. Dingwall
Dingwall
Dingwall is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,026. It was formerly an east-coast harbor but now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts...
in Highland, for example, sounds strange and is not idiomatic usage
Idiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
. To refer specifically to the area covered by the council, people tend to say the Highland Council area or the Highland area or the Highland region. Otherwise they tend to use the traditional county names, such as Ross-shire. Highlands sometimes refers to the Highland council area (as in Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service
Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service
The Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service for northern Scotland, covering the council areas of Highland, Orkney, Shetland, and the Western Isles, and so covering a major part of the Highlands and Islands area...
). More usually, however, it refers to a somewhat larger or overlapping area. Northern
Northern Scotland
Northern Scotland is an administrative division of Scotland used for police and fire services. It consists of Highland, the Orkney Islands, the Shetland Islands and the Western Isles. The police service uses Northern in its name, but the fire service uses the name Highlands and Islands Fire and...
(as in Northern Constabulary
Northern Constabulary
The Northern Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for Northern Scotland, covering the Highland council area along with the Western Isles, the Orkney Isles and the Shetland Isles, which comprise most of the Highlands and Islands area...
) is also used to refer to the area covered by the Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service (which includes the island council areas of Orkney, Shetland and Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles).
The Highland Council headquarters is located in Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
with most previous district council offices retained as outstations.
Councillors
The Highland Council represents 22 wards, of which each elects three or four councillorCouncillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s by the single transferable vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
system of election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
, to produce a form of proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
in a council of 80 members.
Political representation
The most recent general electionGeneral election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
of the council was on 3 May 2007, and resulted in a so-called Independent Group and Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP) coalition administration. The SNP withdrew from the coalition in June 2008, and an Independent Group, Liberal Democrat and Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
coalition was formed in August 2008.
Although consisting largely of former independent councillors, the Independent Group functions as a party, with Councillor Sandy Park as its leader and members accepting what is effectively a party whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
. The process of collapse of the Sandy Park group and SNP coalition also produced an Independent Members Group consisting of councillors who are outside the Sandy Park group and outside the ruling coalition.
In February 2010 yet another independent group outside the ruling coalition was formed, the Independent Alliance Group. Since then, political representation has been as follows:
Members of the Scottish Parliament
For elections to the Scottish ParliamentScottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
the Highland area is within the Highlands and Islands electoral area
Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions
Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions were first used in 1999, in the first general election of the Scottish Parliament , created by the Scotland Act 1998....
, which elects eight first past the post constituency
Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions
Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions were first used in 1999, in the first general election of the Scottish Parliament , created by the Scotland Act 1998....
Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
and seven additional member MSPs. Three of the region's constituencies, each electing one MSP, are within the Highland area: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election...
, Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election...
and Ross, Skye and Inverness West
Ross, Skye and Inverness West (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Ross, Skye and Inverness West is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election...
.
Members of Parliament
In the House of CommonsBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
the Highland area is represented by Members of Parliament (MPs)
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
elected from three constituencies
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (UK Parliament constituency)
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.-Boundaries:...
; Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (UK Parliament constituency)
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
; and Ross, Skye and Lochaber
Ross, Skye and Lochaber (UK Parliament constituency)
Ross, Skye and Lochaber is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
. Each constituency elects one MP by the first past the post system of election.
Towns and villages in the Highland Council Area
- AlnessAlnessAlness is a town and civil parish in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland. It lies near the Cromarty Firth, with the town of Invergordon to the east and the village of Evanton to the south west...
(Anas), AltnaharraAltnaharra-Notable persons:*Linda Norgrove, kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan, and killed by a US grenade during a rescue effort.-External links:**...
(Allt-na-h-Aire), ApplecrossApplecrossThe Applecross peninsula is a peninsula in Wester Ross, Highland, on the west coast of Scotland. The name Applecross is at least 1300 years old and is not used locally to refer to the 19th century village with the pub and post office, lying on the small Applecross Bay, facing the Inner Sound, on...
(A' Chomraich), ArdersierArdersierArdersier is a small former fishing village in the Scottish Highlands, on the Moray Firth, east of Inverness, near Fort George, and Nairn . Its name is an anglicisation of the Gaelic "Àird nan Saor", or "Headland of the joiners", one local legend being that carpenters working on the construction...
(Àird nan Saor), AviemoreAviemoreAviemore is a town and tourist resort, situated within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Badenoch and Strathspey committee area, within the Highland council area. The town is popular for skiing and other winter sports, and for hill-walking in the Cairngorm...
(An Aghaidh Mhòr), AvochAvochAvoch is a harbour-village located on the south-east coast of the Black Isle, on the Moray Firth.Ormond Castle or Avoch Castle was a stronghold built on the site and served as a royal castle to William the Lion; passed on to the Morays of Petty then Archibald the Grim, Lord of Galloway, upon his...
(Abhach) - Back of KeppochBack of KeppochBack of Keppoch is a small coastal settlement in the north west Scottish Highlands, approximately 40 miles west of Fort William near to the A830 road to Mallaig....
(A'Cheapaich), BallachulishBallachulishThe village of Ballachulish in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, is centred around former slate quarries. The name Ballachulish was more correctly applied to the area now called North Ballachulish, to the north of Loch Leven, but was usurped for the quarry villages at East Laroch and West Laroch,...
(Baile a' Chaolais), BeaulyBeaulyBeauly is a town of the Scottish county of Inverness-shire, on the River Beauly, 10 miles west of Inverness by the Far North railway line. Its population was 855 in 1901...
(A' Mhanachainn), BettyhillBettyhillBettyhill is a village on the north coast of Scotland.Bettyhill lies on the A836 road west of Thurso and from Tongue. And 5 miles from the village of Skerray Its former fishing port was called Navermouth...
(Am Blàran Odhar), BroadfordBroadford, SkyeBroadford , together with nearby Harrapool, is the second-largest settlement on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, lying on the SW corner of Broadford Bay, on the A87 between Portree and the Skye Bridge....
(An t-Àth Leathann), BroraBroraBrora is a village in the east of Sutherland, in the Highland area of Scotland. The village is situated where the A9 road and the Far North Line bridge the River Brora...
(Brùra) - CromartyCromartyThe Royal Burgh of Cromarty is a burgh in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland.-History:It was previously the county town of the former county of Cromartyshire...
(Cromba), Culloden (Cul Lodan) - DalwhinnieDalwhinnieDalwhinnie "Meeting Place" is a small village in the Scottish Highlands.-Location:Dalwhinnie sits at an altitude of 351 m. It is one of the coldest villages in the UK, having an average annual temperature of 6.5oC, making it suitable for winter walking and mountaineering.It is north of Drumochter,...
(Dail Chuinnidh), DingwallDingwallDingwall is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,026. It was formerly an east-coast harbor but now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts...
(Inbhir Pheofharain), DornieDornieDornie is a small former fishing village in the Kintail district in western Ross-shire Highlands of Scotland, with a population of 360 .It is near the meeting point of Loch Duich, Loch Alsh and Loch Long....
(An Dòrnaidh), DornochDornochDornoch is a town and seaside resort, and former Royal burgh in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray Firth to the east...
(Dòrnach), DrumnadrochitDrumnadrochitDrumnadrochit is a village inthe Highland local government council area of Scotland, lying on the west shore of Loch Ness, at the foot of Glen Urquhart.-History:...
(Druim na Droichaid), DurnessDurnessDurness is a huge but remote parish in the northwestern Highlands of Scotland, encompassing all the land between the Moine to the East and the Gualin to the West...
(Diuranais) - FearnFearn, HighlandFearn is a hamlet, situated 1 mile south of Loch Eye and 2 miles northwest of Balintore, in easter Ross-shire, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland.The larger village of Hill of Fearn lies directly northeast of the hamlet....
, Fort AugustusFort AugustusFort Augustus is a settlement in the Scottish Highlands, at the south west end of Loch Ness. The village has a population of around 646 ; its economy is heavily reliant on tourism....
(Cill Chuimein), FortroseFortroseFortrose is a burgh in the Scottish Highlands, located on the Moray Firth, approximately ten kilometres north east of Inverness. The town is known for its ruined 13th century cathedral, and as the home of the Brahan Seer. In the Middle Ages it was the seat of the bishopric of Ross...
(A' Chananaich), Fort William (An Gearasdan) - GairlochGairlochGairloch is a village, civil parish and community on the shores of Loch Gairloch on the northwest coast of Scotland. A popular tourist destination in the summer months, Gairloch has a golf course, a small museum, several hotels, a community centre, a leisure centre with sports facilities, a local...
(Geàrrloch), GlencoeGlencoe, ScotlandGlencoe Village is the main settlement in Glen Coe, Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. It lies at the north-west end of the glen, on the southern bank of the River Coe where it enters Loch Leven a salt-water loch off Loch Linnhe)....
(Gleann Comhann), GolspieGolspieGolspie is a coastal village in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. It has a population of around 1,650 people. It is located picturesquely on the shores of the North Sea in the shadow of Ben Bhraggie ....
(Goillspidh) - HelmsdaleHelmsdaleHelmsdale is a village on the east coast of Sutherland, in the Highland council area of Scotland. The modern village was planned in 1814 to resettle communities that had been removed from the surrounding straths as part of the Highland Clearances....
(Bun Ilidh) - InvergarryInvergarryInvergarry is a village in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Great Glen, near where the River Garry flows into Loch Oich.Near the centre of the village is the junction between the A82 road and the A87 road which branches off to the west towards Skye.The ruined Invergarry Castle is situated...
, InvergordonInvergordonInvergordon is a town and port in Easter Ross, in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland.-History:The town is well known for the Invergordon Mutiny of 1931. More recently it was also known for the repair of oil rigs which used to be lined up in the Cromarty Firth on which the town is situated...
(Inbhir Ghòrdain), InverieInverieInverie is the only village in Knoydart, Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. It is linked by ferry to Mallaig, but there is no road access to thearea from the rest of Scotland. The village is home to the remotest public house in mainland Great Britain, 'The Old Forge'.Inverie lies on the north side of...
(Inbhir Iodh), InvermoristonInvermoristonInvermoriston is a small village 7 miles north of Fort Augustus, Highland, Scotland. The village is on the A82 road, at a junction with the A887. The village's most visited attraction is the Thomas Telford bridge, built in 1813, which crosses the spectacular River Moriston falls...
(Inbhir Mhoireastain), InvernessInvernessInverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
(Inbhir Nis) - John o' GroatsJohn o' GroatsJohn o' Groats is a village in the Highland council area of Scotland. Part of the county of Caithness, John o' Groats is popular with tourists because it is usually regarded as the most northerly settlement of mainland Great Britain, although this is not a claim made by the inhabitants...
(Taigh Iain Ghròt) - KingussieKingussieKingussie is a small town in the Highland region of Scotland. It is one settlement in the Highland Council ward of Badenoch and Strathspey, and is the capital of the district of Badenoch. It lies beside the A9 road, although the old route of the A9 serves as the town's main street...
(Ceann-á-Ghuibhsaich), KinlochbervieKinlochbervieKinlochbervie is a harbour village in the north west of Sutherland, in the Highland region of Scotland. In 2001 the population was 480.The majority of local industry is based upon the fishing industry...
(Ceann Loch Biorbhaidh), KinlochlevenKinlochlevenKinlochleven is a village in Lochaber, in the Scottish Highlands and lies at the eastern end of Loch Leven, a sea loch cutting into the western Scottish Highlands. To the north lie the Mamores ridge; to the south lie the mountains flanking Glen Coe...
(Ceann Loch Lìobhann), Kyle of LochalshKyle of LochalshKyle of Lochalsh is a village on the northwest coast of Scotland, 63 miles west of Inverness. It is located at the entrance to Loch Alsh, opposite the village of Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye...
(Caol Loch Aillse) - LochinverLochinverLochinver is a village on the coast in the Assynt district of Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. A few miles northeast is Loch Assynt which is the source of the River Inver which flows into Loch Inver at the village. There are 200 or so lochans in the area which makes the place very popular with...
(Loch an Inbhir) - MallaigMallaigMallaig ; is a port in Lochaber, on the west coast of the Highlands of Scotland. The local railway station, Mallaig, is the terminus of the West Highland railway line , completed in 1901, and the town is linked to Fort William by the A830 road – the "Road to the Isles".The village of Mallaig...
(Malaig) - NairnNairnNairn is a town and former burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is an ancient fishing port and market town around east of Inverness...
(Inbhir Narann), NewtonmoreNewtonmoreNewtonmore is a village in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of about 1000. The village is only a few miles from a location that is claimed to be the exact geographical centre of Scotland...
(Baile Ur an t-Slèibh) - PlocktonPlocktonPlockton is a village in the Highlands of Scotland with a population of 378 .- Details :Plockton is a picturesque settlement on the shores of Loch Carron...
(Am Ploc), PortmahomackPortmahomackPortmahomack is a small fishing village in Easter Ross, Scotland. It is situated in the Tarbat Peninsula in the parish of Tarbat. Tarbat Ness Lighthouse is about three miles from the village at the end of the Tarbat Peninsula. Ballone Castle lies about a mile from the village...
(Port Mo-Chalmaig), PortreePortreePortree is the largest town on Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It is the location for the only secondary school on the Island, Portree High school. Public transport services are limited to buses....
(Port Rìgh) - RosemarkieRosemarkieRosemarkie is a village on the south coast of the Black Isle peninsula in northern Scotland.-Geography:Rosemarkie lies a quarter of a mile east of the town of Fortrose...
(Ros Maircnidh) - StrathpefferStrathpefferStrathpeffer is a village and former spa town in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland, with a population of 1,469.-Geography:It lies in a glen 5 miles west of Dingwall, with varying elevation from 200 to 400 feet above sea level...
(Srath Pheofhair), StrontianStrontianStrontian is the main village in Sunart, an area in western Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, on the A861 road. It lies on the north shore of Loch Sunart, close to the head of the loch...
(Sròn an t-Sìthein) - Tain (Baile Dhubhthaich), ThursoThurso-Facilities:Offices of the Highland Council are located in the town, as is the main campus of North Highland College, formerly Thurso College. This is one of several partner colleges which constitute the UHI Millennium Institute, and offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from...
(Inbhir Theòrsa), TongueTongue, HighlandTongue is a coastal village in northwest Highland, Scotland, in the western part of the former county of Sutherland. It lies on the east shore above the base of the Kyle of Tongue and north of the mountains Ben Hope and Ben Loyal...
(Tunga), TorridonTorridonTorridon is a small village in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. However the name is also applied to the area surrounding the village, particularly the Torridon Hills, mountains to the north of Glen Torridon. It lies on the shore of Loch Torridon.Torridon is on the west coast of Scotland, ...
(Toirbheartan) - UllapoolUllapoolUllapool is a small town of around 1,300 inhabitants in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest settlement for many miles around, and is a major tourist destination of Scotland. The North Atlantic Drift passes by Ullapool, bringing moderate temperatures...
(Ullapul) - Wick (Inbhir Ùige)
Places of interest in the Highland Council Area
- Cairngorms National ParkCairngorms National ParkThe Cairngorms National Park is a national park in north east Scotland, established in 2003. It was the second of two national parks established by the Scottish Parliament, after Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, set up in 2002. The park covers the Cairngorms range of mountains, and...
- Castle TioramCastle TioramCastle Tioram is a ruined castle that sits on the tidal island Eilean Tioram in Loch Moidart, Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. It is located west of Acharacle, approximately 80 kilometres from Fort William...
- Cawdor CastleCawdor CastleCawdor Castle is a tower house set amid gardens in the parish of Cawdor, approximately 10 miles east of Inverness and 5 miles southwest of Nairn in Scotland, United Kingdom. It belonged to the Clan Calder. It still serves as home to the Dowager Countess Cawdor, stepmother of Colin Robert Vaughan...
- Chanonry PointChanonry PointChanonry Point lies at the end of Chanonry Ness, a spit of land extending into the Moray Firth between Fortrose and Rosemarkie on the Black Isle, Scotland....
- Culloden BattlefieldBattle of CullodenThe Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...
- Eilean Donan Castle
- Fort George
- GlencoeGlencoe, ScotlandGlencoe Village is the main settlement in Glen Coe, Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. It lies at the north-west end of the glen, on the southern bank of the River Coe where it enters Loch Leven a salt-water loch off Loch Linnhe)....
- GlenfinnanGlenfinnanGlenfinnan is a village in Lochaber area of the Highlands of Scotland. It is located at the northern end of Loch Shiel, at the foot of Glenfinnan.- Glenfinnan Monument :...
- Glen OrchyGlen OrchyGlen Orchy is a long glen in Argyll and Bute in Scotland. It runs south-westerly from the Bridge of Orchy to Inverlochy following the River Orchy...
- Glen ShielGlen ShielGlen Shiel is a glen in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland.The glen runs approximately 9 miles from north-west to south-east, from sea level at the village of Shiel Bridge and Loch Duich to the Cluanie Inn at the western end of Loch Cluanie and the start of Glenmoriston.W. H...
- Glen Spean
- Highland Folk MuseumHighland Folk MuseumThe Highland Folk Museum, recognized as Britain’s first mainland open air museum opened at Kingussie, Scotland in 1944. Named Am Fasgadh this became the third home for founder Dr. Isobel F...
- Highland Wildlife ParkHighland Wildlife ParkThe Highland Wildlife Park is a safari park and zoo near Kingussie, Highland, Scotland. The park is located within the Cairngorms National Park...
- Loch DuichLoch DuichLoch Duich is a sea loch situated on the western coast of Scotland, in the Highlands.-History:In 1719, British forces burned many homesteads along the loch’s shores in the month preceding the Battle of Glen Shiel....
- Loch LinnheLoch LinnheLoch Linnhe is a sea loch on the west coast of Scotland....
- Loch LochyLoch LochyLoch Lochy is a large freshwater loch in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. With a mean depth of , it is the third deepest loch of Scotland.-Geography:...
- Loch NessLoch NessLoch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. Its surface is above sea level. Loch Ness is best known for the alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as "Nessie"...
- Rannoch MoorRannoch MoorRannoch Moor is a large expanse of around 50 square miles of boggy moorland to the west of Loch Rannoch, in Perth and Kinross and Lochaber, Highland, partly northern Argyll and Bute, Scotland...
- Skibo CastleSkibo CastleSkibo Castle is located to the west of Dornoch in the Highland county of Sutherland, Scotland overlooking the Dornoch Firth. Although the castle dates back to the 12th century, the present structure is largely of the 19th century, and early 20th century, when it was the home of industrialist...
- Smoo CaveSmoo CaveSmoo Cave is a large combined sea cave and freshwater cave in Durness in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland.- Geology :Smoo Cave is formed within Early Ordovician dolostones of the Durness Group...
- Tor Castle
- Urquhart CastleUrquhart CastleUrquhart Castle sits beside Loch Ness in Scotland along the A82 road, between Fort William and Inverness. It is close to the village of Drumnadrochit. Though extensively ruined, it was in its day one of the largest strongholds of medieval Scotland, and remains an impressive structure, splendidly...
- West Highland WayWest Highland WayThe West Highland Way is a linear long distance footpath in Scotland, with the official status of Long Distance Route. It is 154.5km long, running from Milngavie north of Glasgow to Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, with an element of hill walking in the route...
- Old Wick Castle
See also
- Scottish HighlandsScottish HighlandsThe Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
- List of places in Highland
- List of places in Argyll and Bute
- List of places in Perth and Kinross
- List of places in Moray
- List of places in the Western Isles