Scotland – Glencoe

Our month-long trip to Scotland began with our flight into Glasgow. There we picked up our rental and set out for Glencoe. In hindsight, the timing of this was a mistake. After a long flight I was tired. While I have driven on the left side of the road previously when visiting Britain, there is always an adjustment period. Couple those factors with driving a standard transmission vehicle for the first time in several years: needless to say that first day’s drive was somewhat stressful. On reflection, we probably should have overnighted in Glasgow to rest before setting out.

At any rate, we arrived in Glencoe several hours later and checked into our rental home for the week. After settling in, the next day we drove up to view the Glenfinnan Viaduct. I will deal with that trip separately in my next post dealing with the Jacobite Train.

At this point I should differentiate between Glen Coe and Glencoe. Glen Coe is the valley whereas Glencoe is the village at the end of the valley.

That evening I enjoyed a beautiful sunset just a short distance from Glencoe.

Over the next few days we enjoyed the sights of Glen Coe and area.

A long, scenic drive down the single lane Glen Etive road brings you to Loch Etive. Overlooking the loch is Gualachulain Bothy. I haven’t been able to find a history of this shelter but it is now a rental accommodation. It will sleep 6 in 3 bunkbeds, targeting hikers and mountain bikers.

Partway down the Glen Etive road is the Dalness Estate. Once owned by the family of Ian Flemming, the estate is now owned by the National Trust of Scotland.

One of the things I love most about the Glen Coe area is the abundance of beautiful waterfalls. I visited and photographed a few of them, as can be seen in the gallery below. As this is a gallery, if you click on any of the photos it will open up a larger view.

Aside from it’s beauty, Glencoe is also known for the Glencoe Massacre. Rather than try to condense the story of the massacre, a good overview can be found at https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/glencoe/the-glencoe-massacre . A memorial to the massacre can be found in Glencoe.

There are lots of white houses in Glen Coe (and elsewhere in Scotland). These houses often add a nice focal point for an image.

Aside from waterfalls, it is enjoyable just driving around Glen Coe, taking delight in the ever-changing scenery.

In my next post, I will cover our excursion on the Jacobite Train (also known as the Hogwart Express of Harry Potter fame).