The Highland region of Scotland is a vast area, covering almost a quarter of Britain's land surface, divided by the Highland Boundary Fault. There are many mountain ranges within the region, creating majestic scenery.

Mountains, moorland, leafy glens, sparkling rivers and island lochs form the back drop to ruined castles, Stone Age caves and Iron Age Forts. The Highlands of Scotland experience a diverse climate, with quickly changing weather conditions so it pays to be prepared, despite how things look when you set out! It is home to a great variety of wildlife, being the last refuge for many mammals and birds found nowhere else in Britain.

The South West

Fort William, situated at the west end of Glen More and the head of Loch Linnhe is a busy centre, with good facilities for visitors.

The town is dominated by Britain's highest mountain Ben Nevis (approximately 4409 ft/1344m), which can be climbed from Glen Nevis, north east of the town. Fort Wiliam is the end of the West Highland Way and the start of Scotland's newest long distance walk, the Great Glen Way, ending at Inverness.

The West Highland Museum is worth a visit to learn about the history of the fort, which was built by General Monk, in 1655. In more modern times, Fort William is rapidly becoming recognised as World Class moutainbiking venue with its prestigious annual event attracting the world's top riders each year.

Other attractions to visit in the area are the ruins of 13th century Inverlochy Castle, the Commando Memorial near Spean Bridge and Clan Cameron Museum, in the grounds of Achnacarry, home to the Chief of the Cameron Clan.

From Fort William, 'The Road to the Isles' is one of the Highland's most scenic routes. Along the way you will see Glenfinnan Monument at the head of Loch Shiel, where Prince Charles Edward Stuart raised his Standard at the start of the second Jacobite Rising in 1745. The National Trust for Scotland visitor centre tells the story of the Jacobite campaign.

At the end of 'The Road to the Isles' lies Mallaig, a busy fishing port and the ferry terminus for the Isle of Skye. Mallaig has a heritage centre and the Mallaig Marine World, with features of local sea life.

The Cairngorms

The Cairngorms National Park is located here and is Britain's largest national park. It offers a wide variety of landscape, activities and destinations.

Newtonmore offers visitors the opportunity to go pony-trekking into the Monadhliath Mountains. It is also home to two museums - the Clan MacPherson Museum (which holds the oldest clan collection in Scotland) and part of the Highland Folk Museum. A unique attraction in Newtonmore is 'Waltzing Waters', an elaborate water, light and music production. It's great entertainment for a wet day.

Between Newtonmuir and Kingussie is Ruthven Barracks, long associated with the Jacobite risings.

Kingussie is surrounded by the lovely Strath Spey countryside. It's a popular centre for fishing, walking and pony-trekking. Kingussie is also home to another part of the Highland Folk Museum, giving a fascinating insight into local life.

To the north at Kincraig is the Highland Wildlife Park, a must-visit attraction for all lovers of wildlife.

Aviemore - at the heart of Britain's main winter sport area - developed from a small village into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the 1960s and has become a major inland resort. Today, Aviemore offers good shopping and dining facilities, a theatre, a dry ski slope, a go-karting track, and many other pursuits to discover. It is also home to a tourist information centre. From Aviemore, the Strathspey Steam Railway will take you on a nostalgic and scenic twenty mile round trip.

North east lies Glenmore Forest Park, containing one of the few remaining areas of ancient Caledonian Pinewood in Scotland. At the heart of the forest is Loch Morlich Water-sports Centre. Features include way-marked trails, a visitor centre, the National Outdoor Training Centre at Glenmore Lodge and the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre. You can visit these beautiful creatures all year and events take place during November and December.

Boat of Garten is an attractive highland village on the River Spey, ideally placed for fishing, the village also has a golf and tennis club.

West of the village is Loch Garten, home of the RSPB Reserve, where you can see many species of birds. It is famous for its seasonal visitors the Osprey, which can be viewed from the observation centre by telescopes and CCTV monitoring of nests.

Nethy Bridge and area is famous today as the location for the BBC series "Monarch of the Glen". With its beautiful countryside and River Spey it's been a popular holiday destination since Victorian times. Visitors come for skiing, fishing, walking, cycling and the annual Highland Games.

Grantown on Spey is a busy centre, with many fine 18th century buildings, good shopping, dining and leisure facilities. Grantown Museum, in Burnfield House tells of the building of the town, begun by the local landowner Sir James Grant in 1766.

The Central Highlands

Designed by Thomas Telford, the Caledonian Canal opened in 1822. It was originally intended to provide merchant ships with a short cut between the east and west coasts of Scotland. Today you can sail on a pleasure steamer through the canal and into Loch Ness. Here you can call into Caledonian Canal Visitor Centre adjacent to the flight of locks at the centre of Fort Augustus village.

Loch Ness, the largest volume of fresh water in Britain, lies in a designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The scenic countryside is peaceful and picturesque and is famed as the home of 'Nessie' the Loch Ness Monster. The loch is part of the Great Glen, also known as Glen Albyn or Glen More. The Great Glen was created millions of years ago by a fracture in the Earth's crust.

In Drumnadrochit, south of the village green, in a large baronial building is the Loch Ness 2000 Exhibition, a Whisky Shop and Nessie Shop. A short distance from the village is the iconic, 13th century Urquhart Castle, overlooking Loch Ness. The history of the castle is shown in an audio-visual display in the superb visitor centre.

To the west lies West Affric, one of the most beautiful glens in Scotland and a National Nature Reserve. It contains a popular east to west path, now used only by walkers. The National Trust for Scotland own the land and carry out vital conservation work to protect and restore its natural flora. The 27,000 acres join Kintail and Morvich. The magnificent scenery includes the Falls of Glomach and the Five Sisters of Kintail, four of which are over 3.000ft. There is a Countryside Centre at Morvich Farm.

Inverness was granted city status in the year 2000, it is a busy centre with all the shopping, dining, sporting cultural and entertainment facilities expected in today's city. Inverness is home to several attractions including its Victorian Castle, the 19th century Cathedral of St. Andrew, the Museum and Art Gallery.

A short distance from Inverness is Culloden. Culloden Moor was the scene of the last battle fought on mainland Britain, which ended the hope of restoring the exiled Stuart dynasty to the British throne. The Visitor Centre has an interesting Jacobite exhibition and a collection of replica weaponry of the period. Following the defeat of the Jacobite army at Culloden, King George II built the supreme defence against further unrest - Fort George. North of Inverness at Ardersier, Fort George is a must to visit with so much to see and where historical enactments and events are held throughout the year.

Situated at the south east of the Moray Firth, Nairn is a holiday resort which benefits from the Moray Firth micro-climate, giving it a surprisingly dry and sunny climate. It has a harbour, sandy beaches and golf courses. The town is surrounded by lovely wooded and agricultural countryside. Visit Nairn Museum, to learn about the heritage of the town and surrounding countryside. Nearby attractions include Boath Doocot at Auldearn and Cawdor Castle. Cawdor is a fairytail castle where you will be swept back centuries in time.

Easter Ross

The Black Isle is a peninsula in Easter Ross, towns include North Kessock, Strathpeffer and Tain.

The fertile peninsula is thought to be named Black Isle because it seldom is whitened by snow. It's a popular area for naturalists to explore. The Black Isle Wildlife and Country Park at North Kessock is a delight for animal lovers. There are also bird reserves at Munlochy Bay and Udale Bay. What's more, dolphins can be seen from the shore at North Kessock and further north at Fortrose and Cromerty.

There are many attractive towns and villages in the area. Highlights include:

• Fortrose
• Rosemarkie
• Cromarty
• Strathpeffer
• Tain

The cathedral burgh of Fortrose is situated at the head of the Chanonry Point overlooking the Moray Firth. At the south of the High Street are the ruins of thirteenth century Fortrose Cathedral.

The nearby village of Rosemarkie has a good sandy beach and attractive 17th and 18th century buildings. Rosemarkie Parish Church stands on the site of the first Cathedral of Ross. Founded by David I, the cathedral was removed in the 1200s to Fortrose where the ruins can be seen. Rosemarkie is home to Groan House Museum, which has an impressive collection of Pictish artefacts.

Cromarty, on the northern tip of the Black Isle, is regarded as the best preserved 18th century town in the Highlands. It's a picturesque fishing and ferry port. There are fine buildings along Church Street, such as Cromarty Courthouse which displays a multimedia exhibition of the town's heritage and nautical connections. Miller House and Hugh Miller's Cottage are must see attractions. Miller House is a handsome Georgian villa built by Hugh's sea captain father. The cottage is the birthplace of Hugh Miller, the geologist, writer and church reformer.

In the 1700s sulphurous springs were found here and Strathpeffer soon became a spa town. Substantial villas and hotels were built in Victorian times. Most survive today making Strathpeffer an attractive place to visit. The waters can still be sampled in the restored Pump Room, which also houses the Tourist Information centre and a display of the spa's history. The restored Victorian Railway station houses the Museum of Childhood which portrays childhood in the Highlands of Scotland.

In the north of the area, Tain is the main tourist centre for the area. Tain is an interesting little town with a museum full of local history. North east is Glenmorangie distillery and visitor centre where whisky connoisseurs can see the distilling process and sample what is claimed to be the best selling single malt whisky.

Wester Ross

Strathcarron lies at the eastern edge of Loch Carron. On the south shore of the loch is Attadale Gardens, with a variety of features which keen gardeners will enjoy.

North west on the coast of Wester Ross, Highland tourist information can be found at Gairloch, which lies on the north shore of Gair Loch. The area is beautiful with lochs, islands, beaches and fine surrounding views. Gairloch has a harbour, a golf club and Gairloch Heritage Museum, which is well worth visiting. Six miles north east on a rocky peninsula beside Loch Ewe is Inverewe Garden. This enjoys the benefits of the warm currents of the North Atlantic Drift. Consequently, Inverewe is a plantsman's paradise of exotic species.

Ullapool is an ideal base for exploring the north west Highlands. Thomas Telford planed the town in the late 18th century for the British Fisheries Society. Its attractive lay out and buildings remain to this day. There are good shopping facilities here as well as a golf club. You can take a trip by boat from Ullapool to the Summer Isles. The Summer Isles are home to sea birds and seals while dolphins and porpoises can often be seen swimming in the surrounding waters.

The Northern Highlands

North West Sutherland, with its towns Lochinver and Durness is the most sparsely populated corner of Europe and is home to Scotland's first Geopark, where the rocks at the seashore are 3,000 million years old.

Lochinver is a busy fishing port on the Assynt coast, it is the largest town north of Ullapool, with a good range of tourist facilities. The Assynt Visitor Centre includes informative displays on local history and the natural environment. A CCTV camera at a Grey Heron nest in Culag Woods transmits live video pictures to the Visitor Centre. The town's most famous feature is Suilven, at 2389ft/731m it is not the highest mountain in the area, but its distinctive shape, sometimes described as a sugar loaf mountain is spectacular.

North west lies Stoer lighthouse and the dramatic 200ft rock stack 'Old Man of Stoer' where climbers can often be seen swimming across the 30ft wide channel to the platform at its base to scale the stack itself.

Handa Island is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a nature reserve with over 170 species of birds, many species of plants and mosses. Ferry boats leave Tarbet for Handa Island from Monday to Saturday.

Cape Wrath is the furthest point north west on the mainland of Britain and Clo Mor on the peninsula is its highest sea cliff.

Durness, is the most north westerly village in Scotland. Durness is an isolated crofting village, but visitors will find all the facilities required for a pleasant stay. To the east is Smoo Cave, a series of large limestone caverns, which can be reached by a path from the car park on the above cliffs.

The North Coast

The village of Bettyhill is situated near the coast on the east side of the mouth of the River Naver. Bettyhill was created by Elizabeth, Countess of Sutherland in 1814 to provide housing for the tenants who had been moved from the Sutherland estate in the Highland Clearances. At Strathnaver Museum, you can learn about the Highland Clearances, find out about the ruins of pre-clearance villages and learn about archaeological sites which abound in the Strathnaver area. Nearby Invernaver Nature Reserve is one of the most important botanical sites in Scotland, with many lime and acid loving species such as bearberry, crowberry and mountain avens.

Thurso, the most northerly town in Britain, is situated on a bay on the Pentland Firth. The name is thought to derive from the Norse Thor's-a or 'river of the god Thor'. From Scrabster just west of Thurso ferries leave for Stromness on the Orkney Isles. Thurso Heritage Museum has a fine collection of fossils and the Pictish Skinnet Stone, carved with symbols and a Runic cross.

North east is Dunnet Head, Britain's most northern mainland point, the tip of the windy heather clad headland is crowned by a Victorian lighthouse.

To the east is the Castle of Mey, the most northerly castle on the British mainland and the former holiday home of the late Queen Mother. The castle and gardens are open mid May to mid July and also early August to late September.

John O' Groats is situated at the northern most extremity of mainland Scotland (but not the most northerly point), it lies 876m/1410km from Land's End at the southern tip of Britain. The name is derived from a Dutch settler Jan de Groot who operated a ferry to Orkney in the 15th century.

Inland this remote area of the Highlands of Scotland is known as the Flow Country, where the largest blanket bogs in the world can be found. This unique wetland habitat is home to many species of birds, which are rare elsewhere in Britain. The RSPB Reserve at Forsinard are working to restore and preserve these breeding grounds of birds such as Divers, Merlins, Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owls and many others.

On the east coast, you can find Wick. The town has been a royal burgh since 1589 and is the area's main market town. The Wick Heritage Centre is worth a visit to learn more about the town and area.

South of Wick, and north of the village of Lybster, are the Grey Cairns of Camster. Built around 3500 BC and thought to be used as burial chambers. The Cairns are constructed of dry stone and comprise of a round cairn, a long cairn and a third ruined cairn.

The East Highlands

Helmsdale was developed as a fishing village in the 19th century to provide employment for crofters forced to leave their homes in the Highland Clearances.

Helmsdale has a sandy beach, a good natural harbour and a golf course. The Timespan Heritage Centre tells the story of the area through hi-tech displays and an audio-visual programme.

Opposite the Heritage Centre at the fishing tackle shop you can pick up a free licence and equipment to go gold-panning.

A few miles up Strath Kildonan at Baile an Or (Gaelic for gold field), gold was found in the Kildonan Burn in the late 1860s when a small scale 'gold rush' happened, even now tiny amounts of gold can still be found.

Golspie is an attractive holiday town with a good beach and golf course. Golspie is dominated by Ben a' Bhragaidh (1293ft/394m). Near the summit is the landmark monument to the 1st Duke of Sutherland who died in 1833.

Just outside Golspie is Dunrobin Castle, the largest house in the highlands. The castle was extended and the gardens laid out in 1850, by Sir Charles Barry, who designed the Houses of Parliament.

The area around the Royal Burgh of Dornoch has been inhabited for over 4,000 years. Chambered Cairns, Hut Circles, an Iron Age Broch and a Standing Stone can all be found here. Call into the tourist information centre in the town's Square, for further information of these sites. Dornoch has some fine buildings, such as Dornoch Cathedral, Old Town Jail and Bishop's Palace. Situated on the edge of the Dornoch Firth, the town is a popular destination with miles of clean sandy beaches, a championship golf course and the nearby National Nature Reserve at Loch Fleet.

Lairg, at the eastern end of Loch Shin is popular with fishermen. The Falls of Shin, five miles from the village, is a fascinating attraction with a dramatic salmon leap. There are several prehistoric sites in the area, which you can find out about at the Ferrycroft Centre. Here you can get advice on walks and the Ord Archaeology trail over Ord Hill. Lairg is famous for its Lamb Sale, the largest one-day livestock market in Europe, held annually in August.

The Isle of Skye

Skye can be accessed by road-bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh and by Ferry from Mallaig.

Skye is the largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. The name Skye is derived from 'skuy', the Norse word for cloud and in Gaelic 'Eilean a Cheo' meaning Island of Mist. Syke encompasses some of the most spectacular scenery and geology in Britain.

Southern Skye

The Sleat peninsula - often referred to as the garden of Skye - contains lush moorlands and woodlands, green valleys and wild flowers. Armadale is the ferry terminus from Mallaig. Armadale Castle was the clan seat of the MacDonalds and today is home to the Clan Donald Visitor Centre. The castle and its 40 acre garden are open to the public and are well worth visiting. Nearby Ardvasar is one of the prettiest villages on Skye. Other places of interest on the peninsula are the villages of Tarskavaig, Tokavaig and Ord offering stunning views of the Cuillin Mountains. The old herring port of Eilean Iarmain, once Skye's main fishing port, affords splendid views to the tidal Isle of Ornsay.

Central Skye

The Cuillin Mountains are the reason many people visit Skye. They represent a challenge, even for experienced mountaineers. The Black Cuillins are composed of gabbro and peridotie. The range includes twelve Munros, the highest being Sgurr Alasdair at 3255ft/992m. To the east lie the Red Cuillins, formed from red granite.

Broadford, is a pleasant village with a wide bay, from where you can take boat trips. Broadford is home to the unusual Skye Serpentarium, with over 50 animals on display from White's Tree Frogs to large Green Iguanas. There are frequent snake handling sessions to enjoy.

The village of Carbost on the shores of Loch Harport is home of the Talisker Distillery, producers a fine single malt whisky. From Sconser ferries leave for the Isle of Raasay, a nature conservation area and good walking country.

The North of Skye

Portree is a pretty town with a fine natural harbour used by fishing boats and pleasure craft. The town has good facilities for visitors and an interesting Heritage Centre.

North of Portree is the Trotternish peninsula where the wild landscape is the result of volcanic activity. A column of rock, known as 'The Old Man of Storr' is 165ft high and quite a challenge for climbers.

The museum at Staffin has a fascinating collection of fossils. A dinosaur bone was discovered here and the museum can tell of dinosaur footprints also found in the area. On the west coast is Skye Museum of Highland Life, housed in thatched blackhouses. This is open from Easter to October.

At the heart of northern Skye is one of Skye's most visited attractions. Dunvegan Castle the ancestral home of the Chiefs of the Clan MacLeod. Originally dating from the 13th century, the castle has since been altered many times. It is thought to be one of the oldest residences in Britain continuously occupied by the same family.