Highland, Council area in northern Scotland
Highland is a council area in northern Scotland that covers mountain ranges such as the Cairngorms along with many lochs and inlets along the Atlantic and North Sea coasts. The area extends from the Trossachs in the south to the northern tip of mainland Scotland.
The council area was formed in 1975 by merging several smaller counties including Inverness and Ross and Cromarty. The region witnessed the Clearances in the 19th century when many residents were forced to leave their traditional crofts.
The Gaelic name of the region is A' Ghàidhealtachd and the language remains audible on road signs and at local events. Small farms and fishing villages often follow the traditional pattern of settlement along the coast while the interior consists of open moorland and wooded glens.
The city of Inverness in the southeast forms the logistical starting point for journeys through the area and offers connections to rail and main roads. Many parts of the region lie away from major routes so travel times often take longer than the distance might suggest.
A large part of the area remains sparsely populated and some parts hold fewer than one person per square kilometer. The Caledonian Canal cuts through the region from coast to coast following a natural geological fault line.
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