Scottish Borders topographic map

Some have called Edinburgh the Athens of the North for a variety of reasons. The earliest comparison between the two cities showed that they had a similar topography, with the Castle Rock of Edinburgh performing a similar role to the Athenian Acropolis. Both of them had flatter, fertile agricultural land…

Average elevation: 341 ft

Glasgow itself was reputed to have been founded by the Christian missionary Saint Mungo in the 6th century. He established a church on the Molendinar Burn, where the present Glasgow Cathedral stands, and in the following years Glasgow became a religious centre. Glasgow grew over the following centuries. The…

Average elevation: 420 ft

Average elevation: 1,086 ft

Dundee sits on the north bank of the Firth of Tay on the eastern, North Sea Coast of Scotland. The city lies 36.1 miles (58 km) NNE of Edinburgh and 360.6 miles (580 km) NNW of London. The built-up area occupies a roughly rectangular shape 8.3 miles (13 km) long by 2.5 miles (4 km) wide, aligned in an east to…

Average elevation: 269 ft

Ben Nevis has a highland (alpine) maritime (oceanic) polar climate (ET climate in the Köppen classification). Ben Nevis's elevation, maritime location and topography frequently lead to cool and cloudy weather conditions, which can pose a danger to ill-equipped walkers. According to the observations carried…

Average elevation: 2,992 ft

Average elevation: 220 ft

Two weather stations collect climate data for the area, Aberdeen/Dyce Airport, and Craibstone. Both are about 4 1⁄2 miles (7 km) to the north west of the city centre, and given that they are in close proximity to each other, exhibit very similar climatic regimes. Dyce tends to have marginally warmer daytime…

Average elevation: 171 ft

Average elevation: 906 ft

Average elevation: 223 ft

Average elevation: 36 ft

Cumbernauld's name probably comes from the Gaelic comar nan allt, meaning "meeting of the burns or streams". There are differing views as to the etymology of this. One theory is that from its high point in the Central Belt, its streams flow both west to the River Clyde and east to the Firth of Forth so…

Average elevation: 364 ft

Average elevation: 305 ft

Average elevation: 253 ft

Average elevation: 741 ft

Average elevation: 587 ft

Glasgow itself was reputed to have been founded by the Christian missionary Saint Mungo in the 6th century. He established a church on the Molendinar Burn, where the present Glasgow Cathedral stands, and in the following years Glasgow became a religious centre. Glasgow grew over the following centuries as part…

Average elevation: 420 ft

Average elevation: 535 ft

The topography of the areas around Neilston are varied. To the east, the land is relatively flat, but to the south and west it is steeper, rising to heights of 400–900 ft (122–274 m) above the level of the River Clyde. The highest points in the surrounding areas are Neilston Pad and the Corkendale-law, at…

Average elevation: 489 ft

Fort William has an oceanic climate (Cfb) with moderate, but generally cool, temperatures and abundant precipitation. In the towns immediate vicinity, there are significant variations in elevation, which leads to some uninhabited areas near the town having a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc), or, at the absolute…

Average elevation: 400 ft

Average elevation: 1,919 ft

Average elevation: 79 ft

Montrose occupies a position on the North Bank of Montrose Basin at the mouth of the River South Esk on the East Coast of Scotland, 11 miles (18 km) NNE of Arbroath, 19 miles (31 km) SW of Stonehaven, and 7.2 miles (12 km) ESE of Brechin. The town lies 62.2 miles (100 km) NNE of Edinburgh, and 373.2 miles (601…

Average elevation: 72 ft

Average elevation: 125 ft

Average elevation: 108 ft

Average elevation: 322 ft

Average elevation: 75 ft

Average elevation: 463 ft

Average elevation: 1,115 ft

Average elevation: 951 ft

Average elevation: 817 ft

Average elevation: 30 ft

The earliest-known evidence of occupation in the area dates as far back as the late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, as archaeological investigation has demonstrated that burial cairns in the district began as ceremonial or ritual sites of burial during the Neolithic, with the use of cup-marked, and other…

Average elevation: 571 ft

Average elevation: 223 ft

Average elevation: 1,191 ft

Average elevation: 899 ft

Average elevation: 499 ft

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Average elevation: 167 ft

Average elevation: 879 ft

Average elevation: 230 ft

Average elevation: 1,063 ft

Average elevation: 148 ft

Average elevation: 262 ft

Average elevation: 2,241 ft

Elgin is first documented in the Cartulary of Moray in 1190 AD. It was created a royal burgh in the 12th century by King David I of Scotland, and by that time had a castle on top of the present-day Lady Hill to the west of the town. The origin of the name Elgin is likely to be Celtic. It may derive from…

Average elevation: 85 ft

Average elevation: 1,414 ft

Average elevation: 0 ft

In a small glen above Ailsa Castle, a small freshwater body known as the Garry Loch is located at an altitude of 247 m (810 ft), with a depth of at least 17 feet.

Average elevation: 46 ft

Average elevation: 627 ft

Average elevation: 728 ft

Ailsa Craig and the County Antrim coast of Ulster and Rathlin Island are all clearly visible from the Mull. On clearer days it is also possible to make out Malin Head in Inishowen in County Donegal in the west of Ulster, and the Ayrshire coast on the other side of Ailsa Craig. Other islands in the Firth of…

Average elevation: 276 ft

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Average elevation: 922 ft

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Average elevation: 36 ft

Average elevation: 1,234 ft

Average elevation: 1,529 ft

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Average elevation: 118 ft

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Average elevation: 1,158 ft

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Average elevation: 1,093 ft

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Average elevation: 705 ft

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Average elevation: 1,161 ft

Average elevation: 600 ft

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Average elevation: 207 ft

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Average elevation: 528 ft

Average elevation: 171 ft

Average elevation: 82 ft

Average elevation: 738 ft

Towards the end of the 16th century, a detailed assessment on the size of the townscape was carried out. The first estimate of the parish population in 1639 was between 3,000 and 3,200 and around 3,400 by 1691. At the beginning of the 18th century, the population declined. A census by Webster's Topographical…

Average elevation: 164 ft

Average elevation: 430 ft

Average elevation: 673 ft

Average elevation: 374 ft

Average elevation: 164 ft

Average elevation: 659 ft

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Average elevation: 82 ft

Average elevation: 423 ft

Average elevation: 269 ft

Average elevation: 1,194 ft

Average elevation: 902 ft

The entire region was covered by ice sheets during the Pleistocene ice ages, save perhaps for a few nunataks. The complex geomorphology includes incised valleys and lochs carved by the action of mountain streams and ice, and a topography of irregularly distributed mountains whose summits have similar heights…

Average elevation: 2,976 ft

Average elevation: 82 ft