Before the 19th century the Highlands was home to a much larger population but , for several reasons , the area is now one of the most sparsely populated in Europe .
The area is sparsely populated , with many mountain ranges dominating the region , and includes the highest mountain in Britain and Ireland , Ben Nevis . Before the 19th century the Highlands was home to a much larger population , but due to a combination of factors including the outlawing of the traditional Highland way of life following the Jacobite Rising of 1745 , the infamous Highland Clearances , and mass migration to urban areas during the Industrial Revolution , the area is now one of the most sparsely populated in Europe .