The Highlands and Islands of Scotland present exciting opportunities for business development. The area covered by the HIE Network extends to around 15,000 square miles, an area larger than Belgium. This means that there is room for choice, room for growth: room to breathe. The stress and costs of congestion associated with the major conurbations of the world is unknown in the Highlands and Islands.

With an expanding list of successful companies showing the way over the past few years, the area is being identified as the preferred location for the enterprising and the innovative. Whether a business is starting up or seeking to expand its operation, the Highlands and Islands offers a business environment and an overall quality of life which contrasts extremely favourably with what is available elsewhere. The well-developed transport network and the latest generation telecommunications make the movement of goods and information easy and cost-effective. The low-cost of industrial property and the area's reputation for top-quality products and services are additional attractions.

The Highlands and Islands has its own skilled, adaptable, and extremely stable workforce which is as much at home in computing, electronics, and pharmaceuticals as in the traditional sectors of tourism, agriculture and the fishing industry. For those who need to recruit from outside the area, the overall quality of life is a major attraction to incoming personnel. The standards of housing, schools, health care, amenities and recreational facilities are extremely high.

A surprisingly diverse collection of modern industries encompasses a broad range of technologies from bio-medical to business out-sourcing. Many of these businesses could have been located anywhere but have been attracted here by the quality of the commercial environment and the quality of life.

The breathtaking scenery and ancient heritage of the Highlands and Islands blend with modern amenities and a progressive business environment in the Highlands and Islands to offer a quality of life that is second to none.

Each part of the region has its own special appeal - from Shetland in the north to Kintyre in the south, from the Moray Firth in the east to the Western Isles which fringe the Atlantic.

The Highlands and Islands covers half the land mass of Scotland, embracing a broad tapestry of landscapes - rolling hills and challenging peaks, golden beaches and lush green islands, and enchanting straths and glens through which world-famous salmon rivers rush to the sea.

Within the weave of this ancient landscape lies a network of communities each of which, in its own way, enjoys a superb quality of life. From busy, bustling towns to quiet, intimate glen and crofting townships, there is a breadth and diversity of culture and community lifestyles bound together by a common sense of living.

The Highlands and Islands is well served by hospitals and health centres and the traditional excellence of Scottish education continues to be pursued within its schools. Extensive building programmes, in both the public and private sectors, have created a wide choice of superbly-situated, high-quality homes which offer excellent value for money. A well-developed transport infrastructure, modern amenities and a state-of-the-art telecommunications network enhance enjoyment of the opportunities the area offers.

Countless visitors come to the Highlands and Islands each year to enjoy the unparalleled range of recreational activities and facilities. To those who are lucky enough to live and work here, such attractions are part of everyday life. In addition to the range of outdoor activities, there are thriving amateur sports leagues, a wealth of music, song and dance, and a variety of performing and visual arts events throughout the year.

In the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, there is space to spread your wings and live life to the full.