Stay Connected · 7 min read
Getting online in the Highlands
Networks, antennas and realistic expectations for working from the far north-west.
Coverage in the north-west of Scotland is better than its reputation and worse than the maps. EE reaches furthest, Vodafone follows the main roads, and everyone dies in the glens.
The most cost-effective upgrade is an external antenna. Roof-mounted MIMO units routinely turn one unusable bar into a working 20Mbps connection because they clear the metal box you are sitting in.
Satellite has changed the calculation for anyone who must be online daily. Power draw is the catch: budget 40–60W in use, which is a meaningful chunk of a small solar system.
Whatever you fit, test it at home first. Diagnosing a router in a lay-by outside Kinlochbervie is nobody's idea of a holiday.
