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The Highlands and Islands

Lesson 2

SCOTLAND

Counties and regions

Cities and towns

“We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilization” - Voltaire

The Land

Scotland, one of the four nations of the United Kingdom, is renowned for its history of human achievement and its majestic scenery. Modern Scotland is a diverse and stimulating society with a Parliament reflecting a mature and stable democracy. It has a successful economy based on worldwide trade. But the composition of its trade has changed significantly over the years as the heavy industries – coal, steel and shipbuilding – have been overtaken by newer industries, characterized by invention and innovation.

Scotland is a land of scenic beauty: snow-capped mountains, wooded glens and shining locks (lakes), rivers, rich farmlands and picturesque villages.

This is the land of tartans and fine malt whisky, of romantic castles and the melodies of bagpipes.

Scotland is the most northern of the countries that constitute the United Kingdom. Scotland is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the north and west and by the North Sea in the east. The coastline of Scotland is greatly indented. In many places deep fiords penetrate very far inland. There are many rivers in Scotland, but they are not long. The longest and the most important Scottish river is the Clyde.

From 1975 until 1996, Scotland was divided into nine regions,which operated in a similar way to ‘counties’. Each region had two levels of local government: an upper level consisting of a single regional council, and a lower level made up of a number of smaller district councils. The regions were replaced in 1996 by a one-level system in which there are 32 council areas, each with a single council in charge.

Regions of Scotland

1.Shetland Islands Area

2. Orkney Islands Area

3. Western Islands Area

4. Highland Region

5. Grampian Region

6. Tayside Region

7. Central Region

8. Five Region

9. Stratchclyde Region

10. Lothian Region

11. Borders Region

12. Dumfries and Galloway Region

Geographically the territory of Scotland can be divided into three regions: the Northern Highlands, the Central Lowlands and the Southern Uplands.

The Highlands and Islands

The Highlands and Islands in the north and west account for just over half of the total area and contain the most ancient of Britain’s geological formations and some of the highest mountains. Ben Nevis(1,343 m.) is the highest in Britain. It is situated in the Grampian Mountains. The northern Highlands are divided by the Great Glen which runs from Fort William to Inverness.

As we enter Glen Coe, a valley in the Highlands, we see the famous mountain trio known as the ‘Three Sisters of Glencoe’, refuge of the legendary Celtic poet.

The Highlands are the most mountainous area of Great Britain and are a popular centre for winter sports. This area of spectacular natural beauty occupies the same land area as southern England but fewer than a million people live there.



The Scottish Highlands contain some of the most magnificent scenery in Europe, and the landscapes of northern Scotland form one of the truly ‘wild’ areas of Britain. However, many of the places in the Highlands have not always been as deserted as they are today.

Scotland is a country of hills and lakes. Scottish lakes, called ‘lochs, are long and narrow. The largest and the most beautiful of all the lochs in Scotland is Loch Lomond. It lies within easy reach of Glasgow.

The most famous of the Scottish lochs is Loch Ness, because of the mystery of the Loch Ness monster. It’s a long, narrow and deep loch in the Highlands. The monster is thought by some people to be a large animal like a dinosaur that spends most of its time underwater. Many people claim to have seen it, and there is a special Loch Ness Monster Exhibition Centre for tourists on the edge of the lake. However, several scientific investigations have failed to find any evidence that it exists.

Alan Ross, a London artist, has made a sculpture, “Nessie” reproducing the Loch Ness monster. It was towed through London on its way to the Scottish lake. The cement-and-steel monster is about 50 feet long, 13 feet high and 14 feet tall.

Many people left their small houses (called crofts) in the 18th and 19th centuries to find work in the large towns. But others were told to leave by cruel landlords who wanted to use their land for sheep-farming and deer-hunting. The old, the young and even the sick were thrown out of their homes. They had to move to the towns, go abroad or live in some of the newer villages on the Western Coast. They were not protected against these ‘clearances’ until a law was introduced in 1886.

Every corner is a reminder of the past. Ruined castles are reminders of the turbulent Middle Ages, while Iron Age and even Stone Age cave dwellings survive from man’s remoter past.

Vast tracks of land have no roads. Only the walker and the camper have any chance of penetrating these solitudes. Tourism is important in the local economy, and so is the production of Whisky.

A typical sight in many Highland valleys or glens is the white buildings of the malt whisky distilleries. No two malt whiskies are the same, and the taste cannot be copied anywhere else in the world, as the water comes from the local hills. Whisky was first produced in Scotland in 1494 and for many years there was a lot of smuggling to avoid paying taxes. There are more than 100 malt whisky distilleries in the Highlands and it is not surprising that the word ‘Scotch’is used to mean whisky throughout the world.

The Highlands are the last refuge of many mammals and birds found nowhere else in Britain: golden eagles, gannets, capercaillies, wildcats, pine martens, red deer and roe deer. Lochs and rivers teem with salmon and trout.

Islands

Then there are the islands. The Hebrides are group of islands off the west coast of Scotland, consisting of the Inner Hebrides, which includeSkyeand Mull, and the Outer Hebrides,which include Harris and Lewis.In the Outer Hebrides, the old Gaelic way of life survives with its language, its music and its crafts. All the islands are popular with tourists in the summer.

The scenic beauty of Skye is enhanced by the romance which surrounds every inch of its ground. It is the largest island in the Inner Hebrides. Its attractive lakes and mountains make it a popular tourist centre. A bridge, built in the 1990, now connects Skye to the mainland of Scotland. Mull is known for its high cliffs and beautiful scenery.

The Orkney Islandsare the group of more than 70 islands off the north coast of Scotland. The islands are governed as a single council area from the town of Kirkwallon the Mainland Island.Mainland is the largest of the islands and has a number of prehistoric structures such as Skara Brae.Orkney and Shetland belonged to Norway and Denmark until the 15th century, when they were given to Scotland. The inhabitants of Orkney are called Orcadians. Fishing and farming are two of the main industries. Orkney is also famous for its cheese and whisky.

The Shetland Islandsare the group of over 100 islands north of Scotland. The islands are governed as a single council area from Lerwick, The islands’ main industries are farming, fishing and making clothes out of the famous Shetland wool from local sheep. Shetland is also famous for its lobster. Since the 1970s the islands have become an important centre of the North Sea oil industry.

The Orkneys and Shetlands were for centuries Viking strongholds, and their people and buildings are still more Norse than Scottish.


Date: 2016-03-03; view: 1540


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