Hatton (, ) is a major town in the

Nuwara Eliya District Nuwara Eliya District (; ) is a district in Central Province, Sri Lanka, centered on the tourist city of Nuwara Eliya. Demographics According to the 2001 census of Sri Lanka, population of Nuwara Eliya district is 703,610, of which 50.5 ...

of Central Province,

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

governed by the Hatton-Dickoya Urban Council. Hatton is a major centre of the Sri Lankan tea industry. Hatton is one of the busiest cities in the hill country of Sri Lanka and is colloquially known as the tea capital of the country, as it is the central point for most upcountry tea growing regions, such as Maskeliya, Talawakelle, Bogawantalawa and Dickoya. Hatton is located approximately southeast of Colombo and south of

Kandy Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of ...

, at an elevation of above sea level. Hatton was founded during the British colonial times in order to serve the coffee plantations and latter tea estates. The name of the town refers to the

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. A number of the surrounding tea estates are also named after Scottish villages. Hatton serves as a gateway to Adam's Peak (Sri Pada) and Sinharaja Forest Reserve, but is better known for its Ceylon tea plantations. Over 48% of the town's population employed on tea estates.

Transport

The Hatton Railway Station is located on the Main Line (

Colombo Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the ...

- Badulla) railway line The town is located on the A7 highway ( Avissawella-Nuwara Eliya) a part of the

Avissawella Avissawella (, ) is a township in Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council, situated on the A4 route from Colombo to Ratnapura, Colombo District, Western Province, Sri Lanka, approximately 40 km air distance and 48.1 km road distance fr ...

- Nuwara Eliya main road.

Attractions

* Adam's Peak, a high mountain, which is major Buddhist pilgrimage destination * Devon Falls, a high waterfall * Dunbar Ground * Holy Cross Church (Catholic) * Laxapana Falls, a high waterfall *Jummah Masjid / Islamic mosque * Maanica Pillayaar/Sri Manickapillayar Kovil, a Hindu temple dedicated to Ganesh * Castlereigh Dam * St. Clair's Falls, an high and wide waterfall * Shri Nigrodharamaya Buddhist Temple * Singha Malai Tunnel, the longest railway tunnel in Sri Lanka (located between Hatton and Kotagala) * 60 feet bridge, a long steel railway bridge (located between Hatton and Kotagala) * Sri Muthu Mariyamman Kovil, a Hindu temple * Subramaniam Kovil, Hindu temple dedicated to Murugan

Education

* Highlands Central College * Highlevel International School * Life-spring English Academy * Oxbridge International College * St. Gabriel's Convent * St. John Bosco's College * Shannon Tamil Maha Vidyalayam * Sri Pada Central College * Univenture international * Webster International School

Economy

Hatton is the largest town in the Nuwara Eliya District. A number of major corporations have branch offices in Hatton, servicing industries including textiles, tea, furniture and information technology. The Hatton National Bank, the largest privately owned commercial bank in the country, and Brown and Company, a leading engineering firm, were both founded in Hatton.

Neighbourhoods

* Nuwara Eliya * Maskeliya * Bogawantalawa * Talawakelle * Dickoya * Norwood * Watawala * Ginigathena * Kotagala

References

External links

{{Municipalities and Urban areas of Sri Lanka Populated places in Nuwara Eliya District Populated places in Central Province, Sri Lanka