The highlands of western Scotland highlight a region of Britain that is full of picturesque landscapes, historic landmarks, and down to earth folks with an accent thicker than molasses. I got the chance to visit a month ago on a three week trip around Europe, including a three day shuttle out of Edinburgh with Highland Explorer Tours. I joined a shuttle full of people in the Old Town district on a rainy morning, was greeted by our guide, a kilted Scotsman by the name Steven, and we started west out of the city.