Highlands

Highlands is one of three maps in the Defiant Map Pack designed for Halo: Reach.^[1] The map is set in a UNSC SPARTAN-II training facility in the Military Wilderness Training Preserve within the Highland Mountains on Reach. Outside the playable space, Covenant battlecruisers can be seen glassing the surrounding environment.

Locations

The following are locations on the map that are so named on the player's heads-up display during gameplay:

During development Highlands was known as Training Preserve. Current files on Bungie.net are even labelled as Training Preserve instead of the map's final name.
This is one of two maps to feature locations previously described in the novel Halo: The Fall of Reach, the other being Condemned.
In the ringed section of The Big Horn river closest to the downed pelican, there are Koi fish. These fish can be shot and killed.
This level's design is similar to that of the Halo: Combat Evolved campaign level Halo.
The crashed Pelican was carrying Spartan-IIs in the midst of the Fall of Reach.^[2] They leapt out of the doomed Pelican, dropping into the Highland Mountains in the Viery Territory.
The crashed Pelican's cockpit emits a radio conversation.
The Covenant CCS-class battlecruisers hovering in the sky are not static; they wobble from side to side slightly.
Contrary to rumors, Highlands does not support the Invasion gametype unless modified in Forge.

An overhead image of Highlands.
A general view of the map.
The east cave.
A battle on the map.
A Spartan Laser shot destroying a Falcon.
A Spartan destroying a Banshee.
Defiant concept 4.jpg

Concept art of the map, showing a more lush art direction than in the final map.
Defiant concept 3.jpg

A concept art piece depicting Covenant ships glassing the surrounding landscape.