Scotland's Geography

Scotland is divided into three distinct geographical areas - the Highlands, the Lowlands and the Southern Uplands.

The Southern Uplands stretch along our border with England from the River Tweed to the River Sark and continue along the Solway Firth until Scotland almost reaches Ireland. This is an area of hills and moors and beautiful river valleys.

The Lowlands lie in the middle of the country and primarily stretch from the valleys of the Clyde and Forth rivers. This is the industrial and commercial heartland of Scotland with our two largest cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The Highlands stretch north of a line from Loch Lomond in the west to Aberdeen in the east. The Highlands are the largest area of Scotland with the spectacular glens, lochs and mountains that most people associate with our country. Great Scotland staddles the line where the Lowlands and the Highlands meet. Blair Castle is very much a Highland castle set in magnificant Highland scenery, while St Andrews Bay is very much in a Lowland setting on the east coast of Fife.

The east and west coasts of Scotland are very different. The west coast is indented by long arms of the sea that are hemmed in by brooding mountains. Off the coast lie the Hebrides, a long archaepeligo of islands that are among the most traditional areas of Scotland.

The east coast - the closest to Great Scotland - is gentler, sunnier and drier with long beaches and wide open skies. It is shaped by the three great firths or estuaries, the Forth, the Tay and the Moray.

We also have a south coast on the Solway Firth where sands and mudflats stretch across to England and the deep Irish Channel separates us from our Celtic cousins.

Finally, our north coast is a wild empty place with wild seas that separate the mainland from the northern Orkney and Shetland islands.

Each part of Scotland has its own character and atmosphere, making a visit to Scotland a varied and always fascinating experience.