Scotland in 5 main regions
Scotland is usually divided into several large regions:
The Southern Uplands, in the south, which include the Borders, Dumfries & Galloways. They are very hilly, made of green hills, wooded valleys and dotted with small towns.
The Central Lowlands, which includes the cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth, Dundee and Stirling, from one coast to another. They are the most flat and densely populated. It is here that the majority of the population lives. The central-east also has the most fertile land, so agriculture is very present here.
The Grampian Mountains, which extend to the geological fault of the Great Glen (Loch Ness). It is in this area that the highest mountains of the country are grouped, between Ben Nevis and the Cairngorms.
The Northern Highlands, north of the Great Glen. They are the administrative and official region of the Highlands.
The different islands: Inner Hebrides, Outer Hebrides, Skye and Northern Isles (Orkney and Shetland). Scotland has many archipelagos, for a total of 790 islands.
However, these distinctions have no administrative value. From a more official point of view, Scotland is divided into 32 administrative authorities, but also into 33 historical counties, the Scots being particularly attached to this last division.
Scotland's cities
Scotland is also an urban country, very appreciated by architecture and urbanism lovers, and by party people. We usually mention 4 big cities:
Edinburgh: its administrative, historical and cultural capital. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is one of the most visited and attractive cities in the British Isles.
Glasgow: its industrial and demographic capital. Its cultural offer, its museums as well as its proximity to the Trossachs make it a very appreciated and visited city.
Dundee: its former industrial capital, now an incubator for new technologies. It has recently developed, combining history and modernity, to the delight of architecture lovers.
Aberdeen: a focal point of the oil industry, this port city is the hub of Great Britain on the North Sea. Today, the city values its industrial and architectural heritage, and offers a rich gastronomic and artistic life.
The "little names" of Scotland's summits
Mountains cover a large part of the country. The highest of all is the famous Ben Nevis. Located in the immediate vicinity of Fort William, it rises to 1 344 m and is a major hiking spot. If it is the roof of the British Isles, the highest territorial ensemble is not the one to which it belongs: it is the Cairngorms. They gather the five highest peaks of the country.
In Scotland, the mountains have different names depending on the altitude at which their summit rises. They are called Munros (over 3,000 feet, or 914.4 m), Corbetts (between 2,500 and 3,000 feet, or 762 and 914.4 m), Grahams (between 2,000 and 2,500 feet, or 609.6 and 762 m), Donalds (over 2,000 feet, only in the Lowlands) and Marilyns (over 492 feet, or 150 m). Hikers, don't make the mistake of shying away from a more modest peak! While the Munros undoubtedly have a magical aura, their smaller siblings also offer extraordinary views and routes, often (but not always!) less difficult.
The glens, between history, legend and nature
Mountains, peaks or hills also mean valleys or " glens " below. Glen, in Scottish, means a valley. Forged by the glaciers, which disappeared at the end of the ice age, they are characterized by their "U" shape. Scotland is famous for its wild, secret and mysterious glens. Sometimes, a road winds, following more or less the river, towards one or two dwellings isolated from the world; other times, they are deserted of any human trace, sometimes as virgin, sometimes as abandoned... These glens are also, sometimes, the places of ancient battles, opposing the clans between them
Treat yourself to an unusual collection!
If there is one collection to make in Scotland, if you are sporty and like to walk, it is a collection of Munros. The term " munro " comes from the name of the person who listed them all: Sir Hugh Munro. In 1891, he issued a list of 282 peaks over 914 m (or 3,000 feet - now that's counting!) for the Scottish Mountaineering Club. Climbing all the Munros is a challenge that many enthusiastic and passionate hikers take on. After the discovery of the first one, the second one often follows, then a third one... The spiral is quickly launched, and the addiction is felt just as quickly. In addition to the sporting challenge, it is the love of nature and the grandiose landscapes which carries the Munro baggers. Some of them are more accessible and practicable than others: well-marked paths, paved or groomed trails, cairns to mark the path... This is the aspect that is often referred to in the "easy" indications of the routes. Good hiking boots, wind and rain gear, a hat, water and sufficient food are absolutely necessary. Other summits will require high mountain equipment, with map and compass absolutely essential, as well as certain climbing and orientation skills in extreme situations.
Some Munros are close: it is possible to make a loop including the ascent of two consecutive summits.
In any case, if you embark on an ascent, keep in mind that you are leaving for a mountain walk, with probable climatic changes and dangers. In case of doubt, if the fog rises, be careful... Many accidents happen every year. Always remember to tell someone about your program for the day: itinerary, estimated time, so that help can be dispatched in case of accident.
The Munro bagger world has its own vocabulary. Each summit reached is called " bagged ". The ultimate goal is the " completion " of a " round ", i.e. a tour of the 282 Munros. The person who takes up this challenge, no matter how long it takes, is a " Munroist " or a " Compleatist ". The first Munroist in history was Ronald Burn, Reverend, in 1923 and not, as one might imagine, Sir Hugh Munro, who was two summits short. On average, it takes 8 years to achieve this goal. The world of Munro Bagging also has its records: in 2010, Stephen Pyke completed the 282 Munros in 39 days, 9 hours and 6 minutes. Steven Fallon has completed 15 laps of the 282 Munros. The youngest Munroist, Ben Fleetwood, was 10 years and 3 months old when he completed his lap in August 2011.
Some Munros to inspire you: Ben Nevis (accessible from Fort William), Ben Lomond or Ben Lawers (in the Trossachs), Pap of Glencoe or Buachaille Etive Mor (Glencoe Valley), An Teallach (near Ullapool), Braeriach (in the Cairngorms)... It doesn't matter (or almost doesn't matter) where you are in Scotland, if you succumb to the lure of the Munros, you'll always find a peak to climb around you.
All about the Munros: www.munromagic.com, www.munrobagger.scotor www.walkhighlands.co.uk/munros
Scotland's beaches
One does not spontaneously associate beach and Scotland... And yet! Between its islands, its coasts and its lands, Scotland swarms with numerous and sublime beaches. If the Scottish beaches, due to the cool temperatures, are less favourable than the beaches of other countries further south for lazing around and sunbathing, they have the advantage of being much less crowded, wilder and... definitely heavenly! They are also the delight of surfers. Scotland has 12 429 km of coastline and, if not as many beaches, it nevertheless collects sublime spots.
Scotland boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world on its islands. In the Shetland archipelago, the island of St. Ninian is known for having one of the most beautiful sand tombolos - a strip of land connecting an island to the coast - in Europe. This sandy causeway almost gives the impression of walking on water... The island of Harris also has beautiful beaches, which can be explored by bike, thanks to the Hebridean Way cycle path. Luskentyre Sands beach has been awarded(TripAdvisor Choice Awards UK) for its beauty. Incredibly photogenic, it is a must-see if you are in the area..
East of Inverness, Lossiemouth offers long stretches of white sand, as well as a small harbor with undeniable charm. Aberdeen has one of the most beautiful urban beaches in the country: an art deco esplanade, 3 km of waterfront, original cottages and, in the distance, in summer, tursiops - or bottlenose dolphins - leaping between the waves... One hour from Edinburgh, Coldingham Bay, in Eyemouth, will amaze you. Are you in Glasgow? The beach of Ayr, also 1 hour away by car, will give you a change of scene.
If you are a land lover, having chosen the mountains will not deprive you of idyllic beaches... It is possible to combine the two landscapes, as on the site of Loch Laggan in the Cairngorms or the beach of Luss, in Loch Lomond, to quote only two examples among many others. Because yes, the lochs also have their beaches, sometimes of pebbles, sometimes of fine sand... and they are, for the brave, also suitable for swimming and water sports.
National parks or how Scotland is saving its landscapes
There are two national parks in Scotland: Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park and the Cairngorms National Park. The latter is the largest in the UK and the most interesting in terms of landscape, wildlife and plant conservation.
Scotland also has many areas protected by other organizations:
forestry and Land Scotland, which manages Scotland's forests and national sites;
the National Trust of Scotland, which preserves areas of great landscape and tourist interest(www.nts.org.uk);
the RSPB, which protects the habitat of animals and especially birds(www.rspb.org.uk);
the NNR, which oversees the national nature reserves(www.nnr-scotland.org.uk).
Other smaller structures are also present, such as the John Muir Trust(www.johnmuirtrust.org), named after the famous Scottish naturalist, precursor of national parks in the United States.
