The Scottish Highlands region is unquestionably the most dramatic mountain scenery to be found within the British Isles. Stereotypical views of lochs, ancient woodlands and mountains abound and whilst the famous locations such as Rannoch Moor, Loch Ness and Eilean Donan Castle are obvious tourist hotspots, the lesser known glens and lochs are equally memorable.

Covering approximately half of the Scottish mainland, the Highlands stretch from the shores of Loch Lomond to Sutherland in the far north. The highest British peak, Ben Nevis, stands aloft the Great Glen, which runs from Loch Linnhe on the west coast to the Highland capital city of Inverness on the east. Near here, the Cairngorm National Park is home to the second and third highest peaks and can lay claim to being the largest area of upland sub-arctic wilderness within the United Kingdom.

However it is not just the natural features of the Highlands that dominate the vista. Past and present human occupiers have left their mark on the landscape with numerous castles, villages and towns situated in some of the most remarkable of natural locations. Although human intervention has not just been limited to constructing dwellings and forts, with vast tracts of the once great Caledonian Forest being destroyed by mankind, it could be argued that it is the combination of natural features and human influence that has helped to create the unquestionably Scottish landscape that we all now know and love so much.

In more than 60 glorious images Jason Friend shares not only some of his favourite locations within the Highlands, but also some of the majestic natural scenes that he has been lucky enough to witness through his quest to capture the true Spirit of the Highlands.

Jason Friend lives in the North East of England. He is a regular contributor to Outdoor Photography and Country Walking Magazine and supplies images to a number of worldwide image libraries. Jason’s previous titles include Portrait of the Borders, Portrait of Tyneside, Spirit of Cumbria, Spirit of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Illuminated also for Halsgrove.

Imprint: PiXZ Books. ISBN 978 0 85710 016 0, hardback, 110x155mm, 64 pages. Published June 2010.