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 View from the Ballachulish Bridge |
 Travelling Down Glencoe |
 Deer in Glen Etive |
Glencoe is the village lying at the western end of Glen Coe, whose spectacular scenery is overshadowed only by its brooding atmosphere and bloody history.
The glen is a popular centre for hillwalkers and climbers. Its southern side comprises a number of ridges and peaks, tending to run at right angles to the glen. The highlight must be the huge rocky pyramid of Buachaille Etive Mor, towering over Rannoch Moor as you approach from central Scotland. The north side of the glen offers far fewer Munros, just two: but they are at either end of the ragged and rocky Aonach Eagach ridge, which hems in and looms over the road and is reckoned to be the most difficult in mainland Scotland.
The National Trust for Scotland owns and manages much of the glen, and there is a Visitor Centre towards its lower, western, end. Displays describe the geology of the landscape but also tell another, darker, story of Glen Coe. To find out more about Glen Coe, and the story of the massacre, visit the Feature Page for Glen Coe. You can also visit our Historical Timeline for the wider background.
To the east of Glen Coe is Rannoch Moor, a vast area of peat and lochans. It is best viewed from the chairlift at the Glencoe Ski Centre where visitors can also call into the Museum of Scottish Skiing and Climbing. A junction at the top of Glen Coe leads visitors down beautiful Glen Etive,
Glencoe village stands at the western entrance to the glen on the edge of Loch Leven. Attractions include a Folk Museum and a range of accommodation options. Two miles further west is Ballachulish where a bridge now crosses the mouth of the Loch. This used to be a major centre for the production of roofing slates but production has now ceased. At the end of Loch Leven and about seven miles east of Glencoe is Kinlochleven, an essential stopping off point on the West Highland Way. The Visitor Centre there tells the story of the British Aluminium Company in the area, while The Ice Factor provides both the World's largest indoor ice climbing facility and the UK's largest articulated climbing wall.
North of Ballachulish Bridge, the road sweeps round the coast and heads north up Loch Linnhe towards Fort William. Just as it starts to do so you reach the Corran Ferry, on your left, the route to a large chunk of Western Scotland and one route (via the Lochaline Ferry) to Mull.
