Scotland is part of the United Kingdom on the British Isles. It makes up one-third, or 32% of the island. It is bordered on the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean, while the North Sea is to the east of the country. England makes up the southeastern border. The Irish Sea is directly south of Scotland. The total area of the country is a little more than 30,400 square miles. Scotland has a positive-relative location, and is a developed country. .
There are over 800 islands that are part of the nation, although there are only 186 islands that are inhabited. The majority of Scotland's islands lay on its west coast. They are divided into two groups: the Inner Hebrides, and the Outer Hebrides. .
The greatest length of Scotland is about 287 miles on the mainland; including the Orkney and Shetland islands to the north would stretch the length to 450 miles. The widest stretch of land is about 150 miles, and the skinniest width goes down to 24 miles. .
Scotland is divided into three regions: the Highlands, the Central Lowlands, and the Southern Uplands. More than half of Scotland is the Highlands, which is the most rugged region of all of the British Isles. The Highlands contains the highest point in the British Isles: Ben Nevis, part of the Grampian Mountains. The mountain stretches 4,406 feet up. "It is a common ambition of climbers to ascend these [Grampian] hills" (Horn, 1998). Between the hills are narrow valleys known as glens. .
Below the Highlands is the Central Lowlands. Contradicting its name, the Lowlands consists of a continuous line of hills. The highest point in this region is Ben Cleuch, reaching up 2,363 feet. .
The southernmost region of Scotland is the Southern Uplands. Similar to the Highlands, this region is very mountainous; however, the hills are less elevated and less rugged. The hills are more rounded and tend to be grassy. The valleys in this region are a lot wider and less rugged than in the Highlands.
