Where is Wick? Scotland, Great Britain and the UK explained

Mackays Hotel is located in Wick, in the magnificent Scottish Highlands. But where exactly in the world is that? – Scotland? Great Britain? The British Isles? The UK? Well, the answer is all of the above. We understand it can be a little confusing, knowing which term to use and when. So here’s our quick guide to the Scottish Highlands and our place in the world.

Where in the world are we?

Our hotel is in Wick, a village in the historic county of Caithness, right up in the northeast of the Scottish Highlands, on the northeast coast.

Scottish Highlands

The Scottish Highlands is a large region of Scotland, named due to its high, mountainous terrain. It lies to the north and west of Scotland, covering about a third of the land area.

Scotland

Now let’s zoom out to the country of Scotland as a whole. Scotland borders England to the south and is surrounded by ocean on all other sides.

Great Britain

Great Britain is the island that Scotland is located on. It is made up of the countries Scotland, England and Wales. It can also include their offshore islands.

The British Isles

The British Isles is a group of islands, which consists of Great Britain, Ireland, and many smaller islands, including the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and the Northern Isles.

The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom (UK) is a political union of the countries Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its full title is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Europe

Geographically, the UK is part of the continent of Europe. However, politically it is no longer part of the European Union (EU), and therefore has different laws and entry requirements.

We hope this has helped to explain our complex geography! Find out more about travelling to the Scottish Highlands and exploring this amazing area on our blog.