The Highlands of Scotland are a particularly rugged and mountainous area of the British Isles. The images for this gallery were taken around the East Highlands, known as the Cairngorms. The Cairngorms feature some of the coldest places (during the Winter) in Great Britain and consist of 4 of the 5 highest mountains in Scotland.

When walking through Silver Birch woodland, the first thing that strikes you is the bark of the Silver Birch. Rather than the usual smooth, white bark of a low-land Birch, the image above shows the typical appearance of the bark of a tree growing at high elevation; mosses and lichen grow freely on the rough and fissured bark. Greatly reduced leaf-size is also noticeable.