The Scottish Highlands are one of the most sparsely populated regions in Europe and are popularly described as the most scenic. The winding roads guide travelers and residents alike through purple-speckled mountain ranges, tall forests, rolling hills and along lake sides.

Like Ireland, the Highlands are lush with green grasses, but also see a number of colorful shrubs. Most commonly purple, heather -- a type of perennial shrub -- sweeps the area, from mountain tops to roadsides, also appearing in a range from white to pink, and sometimes even red, contrasting with the surrounding green meadows and forests. Although they may brown, the heathers' flowers don't necessarily fall. Other shrubs that sweep the Scottish Highlands range from grey to brown and green to yellow, but when the rain comes, the hills are alive with a vivid green.

But it's not just the plant life that has colour. Carved from thick ice age glaciers, the mountains stand tall, pouring their tumbled grey and brown rocks into the almost purely blue lochs, some of which can even have white sand. The sparse population means that light pollution is minimal, allowing the mountain-crowded sky to feel expansive and blue.

For a land so beauteous, it shouldn't arrive as a surprise that the mountain top views are breath-taking. Being a land so different from even its lowland counterpart, the Highlands are packed with so many unique views and colour blends.

Color Inspiration from the Scottish Highlands

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