The natural beauty of the landscape of Scotland is ‘a marvel to behold' as one writer put it. The treacherous and forbidding mountain peaks, the dark and mysterious lochs and the tranquil glens will forever remain ingrained in your memory, if you ever visit the country. The landscape however has a lot more to offer and is not at all as predictable as the countless pictures and descriptions may lead you to believe. The country really does have a unique geography.
Most people who have visited Scotland and travelled outside its fine cities immediately hanker on about the Scottish Highlands. These are the lands north of what geologist refer to as the Highland Boundary Fault. The region is the most mountainous in the British Isles. It was created 430 million years ago by the collision of three great continent plates.
There are two hundred and eighty four well-known ‘Munros' (Scottish Mountains exceeding three thousand feet in height) and they all lie in the Highlands and Islands. The challenge of climbing all of them, a term known as ‘Munro bagging', attracts people from all over the world to the region. One however does not have to be an ardent hill-walker to appreciate these mighty bens. A lot of them have gentle enough slopes that can easily be climbed by the most inexperienced mountaineers on a long summer's day.
The lesser peaks in the Highlands which do not qualify as Munros, number more than a thousand. As result there is always somewhere new to discover, fresh heights to conquer, and from these summits you can take stunning pictures of the landscape.
The lower slopes in the region tend to be extensively wooded. There are many planned and relatively well-signed walks to delight explorers of all ages. Further down below them, you will find the waters which feed the celebrated lochs. There are five hundred and sixty one freshwater lochs (and one Lake) in Scotland. The most famous is of course Loch Ness.
There is no difference between lakes and lochs. In fact the one lake in Scotland, the Lake of Mentieth was once known as the Loch of Montieth.
If you are looking to explore the region find well connected hotel such as Aberdeen city centre hotel would be a good place to base your trips from. Look up other places to stay around the country via Luxury Glasgow hotels. Planning in advance every detail of your trip including the walks is a good idea.
Peter Merifield is a London-based freelance journalist with a mission to make you a better and happier human being. Drawing attention to the peculiarities of life in the modern age is all part of the package. Check out his other articles for everything you need to know about travel destinations and hotels.
No comments:
Post a Comment