Highland Factsheet

Highlands

The Highlands of Scotland are like a completed jigsaw of many shapes and
sizes, colours, climates and cultures.

Quaint little harbour towns have burrowed into the rugged coastline which
wraps round an area the size of Belguim, surrounding a land of rolling glens,
deep, dark, mysterious lochs, and unspoiled peat and heather moors. Dark,
thick forests burst into wide-open skies and ice-cold rivers cascade into gorges,
thundering onto large boulders below. Yet there are also historic abbeys with
quiet cloisters and tranquil towers, contrasting with relics of war-time like
perfectly-preserved airforce, naval and military establishments from different eras.

Set on the shores of the Moray Firth, with its resident bottlenose dolphin
population, Inverness is the areas capital, a thriving, modern city with a
communications network prepared for the Millennium.

The city with its Castle and a tidal river is only a few miles from the
world-famous Loch Ness, and the glens and mountains of an area which could
easily double for a mini-Canada.

Inverness played a key role in Highland history. A few miles to the east lies
Culloden Moor, the scene of a bloody battle between the Hanoverian
government forces and rebel Highlanders, which has now been returned to its
original 18th century state of open moorland.

Many of the single-track roads and rural bridges of General Wade, the famous
engineer, have also been preserved, offering an opportunity to travel back in
time without modern electricity pylons or factory chimneys marring spectacular
Highland horizons.

There are ruined and restored castles, fortresses and military barracks, and the
golden sands and links courses of the world-famous golfing town of Nairn, the
favourite of Hollywood greats like Charlie Chaplin and Burt Lancaster.
And there are the alpine regions of the Cairngorms in Badenoch and
Strathspey, the Monadhliath Mountains, which edge along the Great Glen to
Lochaber and Britains tallest peak, Ben Nevis.

There are regular flights from Inverness to London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and
Manchester. There is also a good rail and road network between major centres of population.

For further information:

The Scottish Highlands and Islands Film Commissioncan be contacted for more
detailed information on their services and facilities, including free advice and
information on locations, accommodation and crew, as well as access to the extensive
photographic library.

Contact:

Trish Shorthouse or Jenny Yeomans
Tel: +44 (0)1463 710221.
Fax: +44 (0)1463 710848.
e-mail: [email protected]

Scottish Highlands & Islands Film Commission,
Inverness Castle,
Inverness
IV2 3EG.
Tel +44 (0)1463 710221
Fax +44 (0)1463 710848

Climate:

Wick

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sunshine - daily	1.4	2.8	3.6	4.9	5.3	5.6	4.7	4.3	3.9	2.9	1.8	1.2
Temperature - c	3	3	5	7	9	13	14	14	12	9	6	4
Rain - mm	48	35	41	33	44	51	53	69	58	55	61	51

Nairn

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sunshine - daily	0.9	2.2	2.9	4.4	5.5	5.0	3.7	3.8	2.9	2.1	1.1	0.6
Temperature - c	2.9	2.8	4.9	6.7	9.6	12.4	13.8	13.7	11.9	9.4	5.4	3.9
Rain - mm	75	55	61	48	46	49	57	72	78	77	92	80

Fort William

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sunshine - daily	1.3	2.6	3.4	5.0	5.2	5.4	4.4	4.3	3.7	2.8	1.6	1.0
Temperature - c	3	3	5	6	8	10	12	12	10	8	5	4
Rain - mm	200	132	152	111	103	124	137	150	199	215	220	238