Glen Coe

Glen Coe is a Highland glen in the Scottish Highlands, sixteen miles (about 26 km) south of Fort William on the A82, according to the Rough Guide. The name literally means “Valley of Weeping”. The village of Glencoe lies at the western end, and the glen has belonged to the National Trust for Scotland since the 1930s. Its velvety-green, conical peaks are often wreathed in cloud.

Glen Coe is known for the Massacre of Glencoe: in the early morning of 13 February 1692, soldiers under Campbell of Glenlyon turned on their MacDonald hosts and killed between 38 and 45 people; more than 300 fled.

Walkers can head for the “Lost Valley” (Allt Coire Gabhail), with a car park opposite the Three Sisters on the A82, the Devil’s Staircase on the West Highland Way from Kinlochleven up to a pass of about 550 m, or a circuit of Buachaille Etive Beag of roughly nine miles (about 14 km). The visitor centre lies about a mile south of the village, with an exhibition on the massacre and climbing history, guided walks and a café; check opening hours in advance.