One of 32 local authority areas, Highland is the largest local government area in Scotland as well as in the United Kingdom. Covering a total of 30,659 square kilometres, and with a population of just 213,), it borders Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute, extending across most of the mainland and inner-Hebridean parts of the former counties of Inverness-shire and Ross and Cromarty, all of Sutherland, Caithness and Nairnshire, and small parts of Argyll and Moray.

With deep water lochs and the highest mountains in Britain, the Highland area is one of great natural beauty and has developed as an important UK tourism destination. The regional capital, Inverness, is the fifth largest city in Scotland and one of the fastest growing urban centres in the UK.