River Kerry 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

Edinburgh has been popularly called the Athens of the North since the early 19th century. References to Athens, such as Athens of Britain and Modern Athens, had been made as early as the 1760s. The similarities were seen to be topographical but also intellectual. Edinburgh's Castle Rock reminded returning…

Average elevation: 387 ft

The Scottish Highlands are renowned for their rugged, mountainous terrain that dominates much of the region. Stretching across the northern and central parts of Scotland, the landscape is shaped by ancient geological forces, including the Caledonian Orogeny, which caused significant tectonic collisions…

Average elevation: 2,976 ft

Average elevation: 361 ft

Average elevation: 210 ft

Average elevation: 528 ft

Beyond Loch Snizort to the west of Trotternish is the Waternish peninsula, which ends in Ardmore Point's double rock arch. Duirinish peninsula is separated from Waternish by Loch Dunvegan, which contains the island of Isay. It is ringed by sea cliffs that reach 296 metres (971 feet) on the west at Waterstein…

Average elevation: 207 ft

Average elevation: 2,543 ft

The southern group of islands surrounds Scapa Flow. Hoy, to the west, is the second largest of the Orkney Isles and Ward Hill at its northern end is the highest elevation in the archipelago. The Old Man of Hoy is a well-known seastack. Graemsay and Flotta are both linked by ferry to the Mainland and Hoy, and…

Average elevation: 23 ft

Average elevation: 246 ft

Average elevation: 384 ft

Average elevation: 600 ft

The southern group of islands surrounds Scapa Flow. Hoy, to the west, is the second largest of the Orkney Isles and Ward Hill at its northern end is the highest elevation in the archipelago. The Old Man of Hoy is a well-known seastack. Graemsay and Flotta are both linked by ferry to the Mainland and Hoy, and…

Average elevation: 30 ft

Average elevation: 167 ft

Average elevation: 535 ft

Average elevation: 1,414 ft

The number of hours of natural sunshine in South Ayrshire is controlled by the length of day and by cloudiness. In general, December is the dullest month and May or June the sunniest. Sunshine duration decreases with increasing altitude, increasing latitude and distance from the coast. Local topography also…

Average elevation: 495 ft

Average elevation: 1,109 ft

Average elevation: 961 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: 256 ft

Average elevation: 1,086 ft

Average elevation: 810 ft

Average elevation: 604 ft

Average elevation: 371 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

Falkirk is located in an area of undulating topography between the Slamannan Plateau and the upper reaches of the Firth of Forth. The area to the north of Falkirk is part of the floodplain of the River Carron. Two tributaries of the River Carron - the East Burn and the West Burn flow through the town and form…

Average elevation: 226 ft

Average elevation: 738 ft

Average elevation: 906 ft

Average elevation: 581 ft

Average elevation: 2,241 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

Average elevation: 262 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

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: 902 ft

Average elevation: 364 ft

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Average elevation: 535 ft

Average elevation: 262 ft

Average elevation: 889 ft

Average elevation: 495 ft

In the mid-17th century an annexe to Blaeu's Atlas Novus of Scotland recorded that Sanday's low lying topography meant that "shipwreck often occurs to those who sail there at night. The inhabitants of Sanday earnestly and often desire this to happen, so that they get a supply of material for fire from the…

Average elevation: 7 ft

Average elevation: 276 ft

Average elevation: 49 ft

Average elevation: 922 ft

Average elevation: 623 ft

Average elevation: 128 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

Walter Scott's 1822 novel The Pirate is set in "a remote part of Shetland", and was inspired by his 1814 visit to the islands. The name Jarlshof meaning "Earl's Mansion" is a coinage of his. Robert Cowie, a doctor born in Lerwick published the 1874 work.Shetland: Descriptive and Historical; Being a Graduation…

Average elevation: 13 ft

Average elevation: 187 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: 308 ft

It lies in a strath 5 miles (8 km) west of Dingwall, with the elevation ranging from 60 to 120 m (200 to 400 ft) above sea level. Sheltered on the west and north, it has a comparatively dry and warm climate.

Average elevation: 417 ft

Average elevation: 108 ft

Average elevation: 322 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: 220 ft

Average elevation: 774 ft

Average elevation: 489 ft

Average elevation: 948 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: 151 ft

Angus can be split into three geographic areas. To the north and west, the topography is mountainous. This is the area of the Grampian Mountains, Mounth hills and Five Glens of Angus, which is sparsely populated and where the main industry is hill farming. Glas Maol – the highest point in Angus at 1,068 m…

Average elevation: 833 ft

Average elevation: 433 ft

Average elevation: 243 ft

Average elevation: 276 ft

Caithness extends about 30 miles (48 km) north-south and about 30 miles (48 km) east-west, with a roughly triangular-shaped area of about 712 sq mi (1,840 km2). The topography is generally flat, in contrast to the majority of the remainder of the North of Scotland. Until the latter part of the 20th century…

Average elevation: 259 ft

Average elevation: 843 ft

Average elevation: 653 ft

Average elevation: 1,414 ft

Ben A'an is a hill in the Trossachs in Scotland. The pointed peak of its west top (454 metres or 1,490 feet in elevation) resembles a small mountain.

Average elevation: 928 ft

East Ayrshire is located on the west coat of Scotland, sharing borders with the following neighbouring council areas; North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire. Blackcraig Hill reaches an elevation of 2,298 feet (700 metres), the highest peak in East…

Average elevation: 738 ft

Average elevation: 75 ft

Average elevation: 102 ft

Average elevation: 919 ft

Average elevation: 463 ft

Average elevation: 774 ft

Average elevation: 804 ft

The island has three endemic species of tree, the Arran whitebeams. These trees are the Scottish or Arran whitebeam (Sorbus arranensis), the bastard mountain ash or cut-leaved whitebeam (Sorbus pseudofennica) and the Catacol whitebeam (Sorbus pseudomeinichii). If rarity is measured by numbers alone they are…

Average elevation: 322 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

Average elevation: 1,417 ft

Average elevation: 344 ft

Average elevation: 922 ft

Average elevation: 1,234 ft

Average elevation: 1,529 ft

Average elevation: 636 ft

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Average elevation: 981 ft

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Average elevation: 302 ft

Average elevation: 1,158 ft

Average elevation: 1,919 ft

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Average elevation: 1,165 ft

Average elevation: 1,093 ft

Average elevation: 528 ft