Scotland is a land of great natural wonders. And some of the most spectacular – and most accessible – are in the valley called Glencoe, just an hour north of Oban.
This evocative “Weeping Glen” of Glencoe aches with both history and natural beauty. This valley is the essence of the wild, powerful, and stark beauty of the Highlands.
Along with its scenery, Glencoe offers a good dose of bloody clan history: in 1692, government Redcoats (led by a local Campbell commander) came to the valley, and were sheltered and fed for 12 days by the MacDonalds – whose leader had been late in swearing an oath to the British monarch. Then, on the morning of February 13, the soldiers were ordered to rise up early and kill their sleeping hosts, violating the rules of Highland hospitality and earning the valley the nickname “The Weeping Glen.”
Thirty-eight men were killed outright; hundreds more fled through a blizzard, and some 40 additional villagers (mostly women and children) died from exposure.
It’s fitting that such an epic, dramatic incident – dubbed the Glencoe Massacre – should be set in this equally epic, dramatic valley, where the cliffsides seem to weep (with running streams) when it rains.
Aside from its tragic history, this place has captured the imaginations of both hikers and artists. Movies filed here include everything from Monty Python and the Holy Grail to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and the James Bond film Skyfall, and Glencoe appears in the opening credits of the TV series Outlander.
When filmmakers want a stunning, rugged backdrop; when hikers want a scenic challenge; and when Scots want to remember their hard-fought past… they all think of Glencoe.
The village itself is a sleepy one-street village… worth a stop for its folk museum. the town’s hub of activity is its grocery store – we utilized it for some lemon cough drops. 🙂 At the far end of the village , a Celtic cross WWI memorial stands on a little hill. Even this wee village lost 11 souls during that war – a reminder of Scotland’s disproportionate contribution to Britain’s war effort. You’ll see memorials like this (usually with either a Celtic Cross or a soldier with bowed head) in virtually every town in Scotland.
I mentioned earlier about the Glencoe Massacre. we can visit this landmark just up the road next to a pretty stream. Standing on a craggy bluff, this monument still haunts the memories of people here and throughout Scotland.
I purposely set our path today to travel up thru the mountain pass and into the desolate moor beyond while heading towards Edinburgh. In this valley, you’ll enjoy grand views, dramatic craggy hills, and, if you’re lucky, a chance to hear a bagpiper in wind.
The road winds upward towards Glencoe Pass, guarded by a steep ridge-like mountains known as the Three Sisters.
As you continue, you’ll pass a raging waterfall in a canyon – the Tears of the MacDonalds.
As you climb out of the valley, the great intimidating peak called the Great Shepherd of Etive looms like a dour watchman, guarding the far end of the pass. Here just off the main road is the turn for an even more remote-feeling valley Glen Etive – which was the setting for the final scenes of Skyfall.
From here, the terrain flattens out as you enter the vast Rannoch Moor -50 bleak square miles of heather, boulders, and barely enough decent land to graze a sheep. Robert Louis Stevenson called it the “Highland Desert.” But it is a great place to stage a movie or two… from Braveheart to Harry Potter.
