The Scotland District

Barbados is a coral cap over older rock, and in one place, the northeastern quarter, that cap has eroded through completely. The result is the Scotland District, named by settlers who thought the hills looked like home: a landscape of steep ridges, clay soil, gullies and slumping ground that is nothing like the flat limestone of the rest of the island. Mount Hillaby, the highest point at three hundred and forty metres, is here. The land is unstable, with landslips a permanent problem that has taken roads and houses over the years, and it has never supported sugar the way the rest of Barbados did.

What you actually see

• Mount Hillaby - the island's highest point at 340 metres.
• The eroded landscape - ridges and gullies unlike anywhere else on the island.
• Chalky Mount - the potters' village on a ridge with a wide view.
• The instability - landslips visible along the roads.

When to go

December to April is the dry season, when the roads are most reliable; heavy rain causes slips and closures. The district is best seen from the ridge above at Cherry Tree Hill or Hackleton's Cliff and then driven through.

Honest expectations

Roads through the district are narrow, steep and frequently damaged by landslips, with closures and diversions common; a map and patience are needed. There are almost no facilities. It is an area people live in rather than a park, so there are no trails or viewpoints in the usual sense.

Nearby

Bathsheba is on the coast below; Cherry Tree Hill overlooks it from the north.