Explained: How big is the area Highland Council covers?

At an SNP leadership hustings event in Inverness yesterday, potentially breaking up Highland Council was mentioned.

• Kate Forbes: 'Let’s start by breaking up Highland Council – you heard it here first'

• Ash Regan: ‘Breaking up Highland Council – I think that's a very good idea’

Some people might think the area it covers is simply too vast, especially when it's facing financial challenges.

But how big is it?

In its own words: "Highland Council serves a third of the land area of Scotland, including the most remote and sparsely populated parts of the UK. The Highlands has the seventh highest population of the 32 authorities in Scotland (235,540) while having the lowest population density at eight persons per square kilometre.

"The total land area including all islands at low water is 26,484 sq km. This is 33 per cent the land area of Scotland and 11.4 per cent of Great Britain. It is 10 times larger than Luxembourg, 20 per cent larger than Wales, and nearly the size of Belgium.

"The length of coastline including islands at low water is 4905km, 21 per cent of the Scottish total, and excluding islands is 1900km (49 per cent of Scotland). Argyll and Bute has the next longest coastline with 3723km, then Western Isles with 3716km.

"The geography of the Highlands is also diverse ranging from fertile farmland around the Black Isle and Cromarty Firth; dramatic seascapes on the west and north coasts; some of the tallest mountains in the British Isles (including the tallest, Ben Nevis, Lochaber); and the largest blanket bog in Europe (Flow country, Sutherland).

"The Highlands is also home to many lochs. This includes Loch Ness, which is the largest by water volume in the United Kingdom, containing nearly twice as much water as all the lakes of England and Wales combined; and Loch Morar which at 310m is the deepest. Other significant lochs include: Loch Maree, Loch Long and Loch Shin."

The council has 74 elected members, serving on 11 four-member wards and 10 three-member wards. After being elected in May 2022, they will serve on the council until 2026.

Click here to find a document which names all the councillors and committees, as well as some of the key officials.

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