Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
VALLEY OF WEEPING
In 1692 Glen Coe (literally “valley of weeping”) was the site of a notorious massacre, in which
the MacDonalds were victims of an abiding government desire to suppress the clans. Fed up
with what they regarded as unacceptable lawlessness, and a groundswell of Jacobitism and
Catholicism, the government offered a general pardon to all those who signed an oath of
allegiance to William III by January 1, 1692. When clan chief
Alastair MacDonald
missed the
deadline, a plot was hatched to make an example of “that damnable sept”, and
Campbell of
Glenlyon
was ordered to billet his soldiers in the homes of the MacDonalds, who for ten days
entertained them with traditional Highland hospitality. In the early morning of February 13,
the soldiers turned on their hosts, slaying around forty and causing more than three hundred
to flee in a blizzard.
Glencoe Village and around
Tucked between steep mountains, Loch Leven and the grassy banks of the River
Coe,
GLENCOE VILLAGE
is an attractive place to spend a couple of days. There's a
good choice of accommodation in the area, and if you fancy a break from walking,
the village museum and nearby visitor centre make for pleasant distractions. Beyond
the small village at the western end of the glen, the glen itself (a property of the
NTS since the 1930s) is virtually uninhabited, and provides outstanding climbing
and walking.
3
Glencoe Folk Museum
Easter-Aug Mon-Sat 10am-4.30pm (last admission at 4pm) • £3 •
W
glencoemuseum.com
If you have an hour to spare in Glencoe Village, you can pay a visit to the delightful
heather-roofed
Glencoe Folk Museum
. Various games and activities for kids can be
enjoyed within this cosy 1720 croft where items include a chair that reputedly once
belonged to Bonnie Prince Charlie.
NTS visitor centre
Feb-Easter Thurs-Sun 10am-4pm; Easter-Oct daily 9.30am-5.30pm; Nov-Jan Thurs-Sun 10am-4pm • NTS • £5.50 •
Guided walks
Easter & June-Sept • From £5; book ahead •
W
glencoe-nts.org.uk
The attractive NTS
visitor centre
sits in woodland a mile south of Glencoe Village. It
has a good exhibition, with film, giving a balanced account of the massacre, plus
information about the area's natural history and conservation issues, and some
entertaining material on rock- and hill-climbing through the years. There's also a cabin
area providing information on the local weather and wildlife, and you may be able to
join a ranger-led
guided
walk
.
ARRIVAL AND ACTIVITIES
GLENCOE VILLAGE AND AROUND
By bus
To get to the NTS visitor centre or Glencoe Mountain
Resort from Fort William's bus station, hop on one of the
Glasgow-bound Scottish Citylink coaches (up to 8 daily;
30-45min). Bus #44 from Fort William also stops at least
10 times a day (3 on Sun) at Glencoe Village en route to
Kinlochleven.
Glencoe Mountain Resort
Half a mile south of the
A82 at the foot of the mountain
T
01855 851226,
W
glencoemountain.co.uk.
Skiing, snowboarding and
mountain-biking sessions can be arranged at this specta-
cularly located resort. The chairlift (£10) runs throughout
the year. Jan-Oct Mon-Thurs & Sun 9am-8.30pm, Fri &
Sat 9am-10.30pm; Nov & Dec daily 9am-4.30pm.
ACCOMMODATION
Glencoe Independent Hostel
North of the river,
halfway between Glencoe Village and the Clachaig Inn
T
01855 811906,
W
glencoehostel.co.uk.
Cheap inde-
pendent hostel in rustic whitewashed buildings, offering
free wi-fi, hot showers and a laundry service. Dorms
£17
Red Squirrel
150m south of the turn-off to Glencoe
Independent Hostel
T
01855 811256,
W
r
edsquirrel
campsite.co.uk.
Sylvan year-round campsite, just south of
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