The Highlands (Scots: the Hielands; Scottish Gaelic: a’ Ghàidhealtachd [ə ˈɣɛːəl̪ˠt̪ʰəxk], 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands.

Historically, the major social unit of the Highlands was the clan. Scottish kings, particularly James VI, saw clans as a challenge to their authority; the Highlands was seen by many as a lawless region. The Scots of the Lowlands viewed the Highlanders as backward and more "Irish". The Highlands were seen as the overspill of Gaelic Ireland.

In earlier times the Scottish Highlands region was dominated by the Gaels and their Gaelic language and culture while the lowlands were Scottish. The dividing line was everything west from the Great Glen (Inverness to Loch Linnhe and the islands) and roughly 50 miles of land east of the Great Glen.

The Picts lived throughout the Highlands at the time of the Roman invasion of Scotland in AD 80, which did not succeed in conquering Pictish territory. The Scots came from Northern Ireland around 500 AD to colonise the west of Scotland, bringing with them the Gaelic language and Christianity.