Sutherland, Caithness and Ross-shire

Including the Northern Highlands, Western Isles, Wester Ross, Skye, the Orkney Islands and Shetland.

This is a huge area which encompasses every kind of landscape, from the green and fertile farmlands of the Black Isle, just north of Inverness, to the startlingly dramatic North-West Highlands of Sutherland and Wester Ross.

The west coast is fringed with white, sandy beaches, on which there are rarely more than a handful of people even in the height of summer.

For those who love wilderness, this area of the Northern Highlands has some of the most challenging mountains: from the peaks in the north, such as Ben Loyal, Ben Hope and Arkle, to, further south in the area, the Assynt Mountains - sandstone remnants of a former massif which are beautiful to look at from the roads which wind underneath them and which are reasonably easy to climb.

Islands: Off the northern coast of Scotland lie the Orkney islands, more Norse than Scottish, and noted for their diverse beauty and seabird colonies. Traditional music is especially important to the islanders (all school children learn to play an instrument) and there are several music events and festivals throughout the year.

Western Isles: Outer Hebrides - Lewis, Harris, Uists, Barra: Described as 'jewels thrown down by God' these really are special islands. Timeless and evocative, it is well worth the effort to see these unique and pristine islands. Quiet and remote, with stunning beaches and an amazing variety of wildlife, the Outer Hebrides soon become everyone's favourite.

Skye: Probably the most well-known of the Scottish islands and much loved by mountaineers and hill walkers, Skye is easily accessed from the mainland by a toll-free bridge, or the romantically inclined can sail from Mallaig to Armadale.

To the north-east lies Caithness, which is generally low lying with interesting cliffs on both the east and north coasts. Much loved by the late Queen Mother, Castle Mey is now open to the public at certain times of the year. There are secluded beaches along the coast of Caithness, including the famous John 0' Groats - most northerly town on the mainland.

Travelling in the Northern Highlands.

Main airport : Inverness (10 minute drive from the centre of Inverness. Car hire available at the airport).
Main train stations: Inverness, Dingwall, Garve, Kyle of Lochalsh, Invergordon, Tain, Bonar Bridge, Dornoch, Golspie, Brora, Wick and Thurso.

This vast area has good A roads, which are rarely congested, going from Inverness to the north and west coasts. Once off the A roads, many of the roads are single track with passing places. Because the traffic density is very low, these are easy to travel on for long distances but it is very important to be aware of other traffic behind you. Always allow the person behind to overtake as they may be a doctor, district nurse or a local person collecting children from school or trying to get to work. When meeting a car coming the other way, the person closest to a passing place should pull in to the left (never the right) to allow the other vehicle to pass. It is customary to acknowledge with a wave if another vehicle has pulled over for you to pass. The scenery is breathtaking, so take plenty of stops to enjoy it.

Climate: The climate goes from very cold in the winter time, with temperatures falling to -15C in very cold years, to hot and sunny in July with temperatures of 28C+. It is possible to be sunbathing in April and experience brief snow showers in May! However, the general pattern is that the best months of the year are May, June and September which tend to be the driest. July and August are usually the warmest but are sometimes wetter than the early summer. October and March are the windiest months, although October is stunning when the trees are in their finest colours. Winter in the Highlands can be breathtaking when the snow lies on the hills and the air is crystal clear. The night skies at this time have to be seen to be believed. However, it can also be wet, grey and windy like everywhere else in the British Isles!