Northwest Highlands
57°30′N 5°0′W / 57.500°N 5.000°W The Northwest Highlands are located in the northern third of
Geology
.
Climate
Considering its high northerly latitude of about 57 to 58 degrees north and the mountainous terrain, the climate is mild, moderated by the warming influence of the North Atlantic Drift which is a powerful warm western boundary current within the Atlantic Ocean that extends the Gulf Stream northeastward. At low elevations and near the coast the climate is maritime. The summers are mild and wet with average daytime highs under 17 °C, or 62.6 °F. The winters are cool at low elevation with average night-time lows below 0 °C, or 32 °F, but become colder and snowier inland and at higher elevations with the highest tops exhibiting a tundra climate. The Northwest Highlands are, on average, not as cold as the higher, snowier Cairngorm mountains which lie to the southeast. However, on 30 December 1995, the UK's lowest temperature was recorded at Altnaharra, at −27.2 °C (−17.0 °F). This matched a similar recording at Braemar in the Grampians on 11 February 1895 and on 10 January 1982. Snow does not usually lie for significant periods at the coast or at low elevations but may lie for up to 105 days per year, persisting into the summer months, at the highest elevations. Naturally, the area would be a vast birch, pine and montane shrub forest, such as those surviving in Glen Affric.
Geography
The region has steep, glacier-carved mountains, glens and interspersed plains. Many islands (which also vary widely in geography) lie off the coast. Elevations of around 750 metres (2,500 feet) or over are common, as are mountains exceeding 3,000 feet or 914 m (
The
List of places in the Northwest Highlands
- Applecross
- Lochinver
- Torridon
- Shieldaig
- Kishorn
Towns and villages
- Inverness this is east
- Beauly
- Dingwall
- Dornoch
- Fort Augustus
- Fort William
- Lairg
- Mallaig
- Muir of Ord
- Ullapool
Regions and mountain ranges
- Achnashellach Forest
- Applecross
- Assynt
- Coigach
- Dundonnell and Fisherfield Forest
- Fannichs
- Inverpolly
- Kintail
- Knoydart
- Skye
- Torridon Hills
Glens and lochs
- Glen Kingie
- Glen Affric
- Glenmoriston
- Glen Shiel
- Loch Broom
- Loch Cluanie
- Loch Morar
- Loch Shiel
- Loch Torridon
- Loch Maree
- Loch Ness
See also
- Scottish Highlands
- Torridonian sandstone
External links
Bibliography
- Murray, W.H. (1977). The Companion Guide to the West Highlands of Scotland. London: William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. ISBN 0 00 216813 8.