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The Highlands
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The West Highland Line is one of the most exciting
and dramatic railway journeys in the world.
The southern part of the line travels from Glasgow along the Clyde estuary, and traverses desolate Rannoch Moor.
The second leg of the journey, form Fort William to Mallaig, is even more spectacular, crossing the magnificent 21-arch viaduct at Glenfinnan. Reaching the coast there are unforgettable
views of the Small Isles and Skye as the train runs past the famous silver
sands of Morar and up to Mallaig.
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Glen Coe is breathtakingly beautiful and the best
known of the Highland glens, a spectacular mountain valley lying
between velvety-green conical peaks, their tops often wreathed in
cloud, their flanks streaked by cascades of rock and scree. A mile south of the village, the NTS visitor centre is an
interesting eco-friendly building. Informative ranger-led guided walks
leave from the centre, while a cabin area provides information on the
local weather and wildlife, and a cafe sells good cakes.
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At 23 miles long, a mile wide and estimated at up to 1000 feet deep
(deeper than the North Sea) the scale of the loch is huge. Surrounded
by heather clad mountains, even in summer the waters can appear dark
and lifeless. Loch Ness is of course famous for “Nessie” the Loch Ness Monster. The
first mention of this creature was in a 7th century biography of St
Columba who allegedly claimed that an aquatic animal had attacked one
of his monks.
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Wester Ross contains all the classic elements of Scotland's coastal
scenery - dramatic mountains, sandy beaches, whitewashed crofting
cottages and shimmering island views, all come together in spectacular
fashion. Although popular with holidaymakers, places such as Applecross
and the peninsulas north and south of Gairloch still maintain an
endearing simplicity and sense of isolation. The main settlement is the fishing town of Ullapool, a
pleasant place to use as a base.
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The Knoydart peninsula is regarded by many as mainland Britain's most
dramatic and unspoilt wilderness area. Flanked by Loch Nevis in the south, and Loch Hourn to the north,
Knoydart's knobbly green peaks sweep straight out to sea, shrouded for
much of the time in a pall of grey mist. Knoydart supports around 70 people, most of whom live in
the hamlet of Inverie, with mainland
Britain's most remote pub, the Forge, serving real ales and generous bar meals
featuring freshly caught seafood.
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Pounded by one of the world's most ferocious seaways, spectacular Cape Wrath is mainland Britain's most northwesterly promontory, topped off with a lighthouse and retaining an end-of-the-world mystique that has been largely lost at John O'Groats. Take a day return trip starting at Keoldale. A foot passenger ferry operates from here and
crosses the spectacular Kyle of Durness estuary.
At the other side of the estuary you board a minibus that takes you the
remaining 11 miles to Cape Wrath.
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Inverness is the only city in the Highland region, and although
relatively small with a population of around 100 000, is a busy and
prosperous hub. It's a good base from which to explore the lure of the
nearby sea and mountains, and has some interesting attractions of its
own, including Inverness Castle, a Museum and Art Gallery, Kiltmaker Centre, theatre and nearby Fort George - an 18th century fort re-creating the life of the ordinary Scottish soldier over 200 years ago.
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Take a dolphin spotting boat trip in the Moray Firth from Inverness,
and see these fascinating wild animals in their natural habitat. This great wedge shaped bay forms the eastern coastline of
the Highlands, and is one of only three areas of UK waters that supports a
resident population of dolphins. Over a hundred of these beautiful,
intelligent marine mammals live in the estuary, the most northerly
breeding ground for this particular species (the bottle-nosed dolphin)
in Europe.
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Glen Nevis is among the Highland's most impressive glens, a
classic U shaped glacial valley hemmed in by steep bracken covered
slopes and swaths of blue-grey scree. Herds of shaggy Highland cattle
graze the valley floor, where a sparkling river gushes through glades
of trees. A great low-level walk runs along a good but rocky path through a dramatic
gorge with impressive falls and rapids, then opens out into a secret
hanging valley, carpeted with wild flowers, with a high waterfall at
the far end.
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The huge, mountainous and sparsely inhabited region of Scotland known
as the Cairngorms, rises to 4,296 ft above sea level and
is the highest landmass in Britain. Sub-arctic conditions support snow hares and
reindeer, with golden eagles and ospreys inhabiting crags and
pine forests.In summer, walking, camping, watersports and mountain biking are the
main outdoor activities. In winter, you can visit one of the skiing and
snowboarding resorts in the area, Aviemore or the Cairngorm Ski Area.
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