Scotland's size is 31,510 sq. miles; 274 miles long from North to South, and varies in width between 24 and 154 miles. The three main regions are The Highlands, the Midland Valley and the Southern Uplands. The cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee together with numerous towns, most of the population and the majority of Scotland's industry is located within the Midland Valley.
This broad valley averages 50 miles across and runs WSW to ENE across the center of the country.
In its entirety, Scotland includes 787 islands, most belong the groups known as the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland. Only 62 exceed three square miles in area.
Scotland is also noted for its lochs (this name is generally used for lakes in Scotland). Much of the west coast of the country is intersected by Sea Lochs, the longest of which, Loch Fyne, penetrates more than 40 miles inland. Notable fresh-water lochs include Loch Ness, yep, the one with the monster!
This article is part of the Historic Travel series on The Scotland Traveler.
