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Top 10 Facts about Glencoe Village

Glencoe village in the Scottish Highlands. Photo by Simonm72.

Glencoe or Glencoe Village (Gaelic: A’ Chàrnaich) is the main settlement in Glen Coe in the Scottish Highlands’ Lochaber region. It is located at the glen’s northwestern end, on the southern bank of the River Coe, where it enters Loch Leven (a salt-water loch off Loch Linnhe).

For local government purposes, the village is part of the Highland council area of Ross, Skye, and Lochaber. For ceremonial purposes, it is part of the registration county of Argyll and the lieutenancy area of Inverness.

The term ‘Glencoe Village’ was coined recently to distinguish the settlement from the glen itself.

1.  Massacre of Glencoe took place in Glencoe Village

The village is located on the site of the Glencoe Massacre. In 1692, 38 members of the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by forces. Those forces were acting on behalf of King William III’s government following the Glorious Revolution.

Treason was involved, because the Clan had fed and housed the soldiers for nearly two weeks before they turned on their hosts.

2. Glencoe Village is also referred to as The Weeping Glen

Glencoe village towards Pap of Glencoe. Photo by Brian Gillman.

In reference to the Massacre of Glencoe, the glen is sometimes poetically referred to as “The Weeping Glen,”. Though the Glencoe name was already in place well before the massacre, as the Gaelic Gleann Comhann, the Comhann element of which may predate the Gaelic language. Its meaning unknown.

3. Glencoe Village has a ferry service

By the mid-1700s, a ferry service from Invercoe to Callert House on the north shore of Loch Leven was in operation. A path led from there across the shoulder of Mam na Gualainn at 475m or 1,560ft before dropping to the line of the old military road from what is now Kinlochleven to Fort William. It  is now used by the West Highland Way.

The ferry connected with a road that followed the north bank of the River Coe up Glen Coe to Kingshouse on the edge of Rannoch Moor on the south shore. The lower sections of this road are still in use as far as a junction with the A82 a mile east of the Clachaig Inn. They offer a very scenic, albeit single track, alternative route into or out of the village.

4. A new road was built, along Glencoe Village

In the 1930s, a “new” road was built along Glen Coe. It is bypassing Glencoe, along the south side of the river in the lower glen. When the Ballachulish Ferry was replaced by the Ballachulish Bridge in 1975, drivers no longer diverted through Glencoe around the head of Loch Leven at Kinlochleven to avoid ferry queues.

5. Glencoe Village expanded along the main road

Street in Glencoe. Photo by Jon Platek.

The village responded by expanding along the new main road. The Glencoe Hotel was then built on what is now the A82 in 1939. Glencoe Mountain Rescue’s headquarters are directly across the street.

The lovely white harled structure bears a plaque honoring Graham Flatters, 1957-1996, “who loved to wander in wild places.”

6. Glencoe main settlement is from A82- Loch Leven

Glencoe’s major settlement stretches from the A82 to the north-east along the shore of Loch Leven. The village shop and, a little further along on the opposite side, the post office are located on the village’s single main street.

In addition, there is a village hall and St Mary’s Church. The houses range from traditional cottages to more modern structures, with utilitarian designs thrown in for good measure. The two thatched 18th century croft houses that now house the excellent Glencoe and North Lorn Folk Museum are perhaps the most striking of the domestic buildings.

7. Glencoe Village has a museum

Folk Museum, Glencoe village. Photo by Brian Gillman.

Visitors can learn about crofting, clans, and the history of the area at the traditionally thatched Glencoe and North Lorn Museum.

The museum was started after a resident discovered a cache of 200-year-old swords and pistols hidden there from the British Redcoats after the disastrous battle of Culloden.

8. Glencoe Village has a visitor center

‘Pap of Glencoe’ and a roadside café, A82, near Glencoe village. Photo by Brian Gillman. Wikimedia

Glencoe visitor center, nestled in a woodland glade, is an ideal starting point for a Glencoe and Glen Etive adventure. One can get a taste of the stories that make Glencoe National Nature Reserve so unique.

The Info Hub, which features a large 3D map, provides a wealth of useful information on walks, the weather, and seasonal wildlife. Staff are also available to answer questions.

Every hour, the cinema space shows an unmissable short film called The Glen Revealed. It’s narrated by Game of Thrones actor Rory McCann, and inspires one to support the National Trust for Scotland’s work.

‘Pioneers of the Peaks’ exhibition,  focuses on the men and women who have pushed the boundaries of climbing in Glencoe’s mountains for over a century. They also honor the volunteers who go to their aid in times of crisis and the avalanche experts who study the snows during winter.

9. Glencoe Village is known for camping 

There are three official campsites in and around the Glen for campers. Wild camping is permitted in certain areas of the Glen, in accordance with the Scottish outdoor access code and Percy Unna’s principles.

However, in the mid-1990s, environmental concerns and increased pollution of the River Coe led to a decision to exclude a specific area and prohibit wild camping within that area. The area is to the east of the Clachaig Hotel. It stretches from the River Coe to the Aonach Eagach and continuing east to the junction of the Old Military Road and the modern A82.

The exclusion has resulted in improvements to the river and the Clachaig area.

10. Glencoe Village attracts walkers and climbers

Guys taking a walk in Glencoe. Photo by Bogdanstepniak.

Glencoe is a popular tourist destination, partly due to its scenic qualities and historical associations. Its location on the main road north (the A82) appeals walkers and climbers.

It is well-known for the quality and variety of its winter climbing. The majority of its routes are relatively easy to reach from the main road. Other attractions include the waterfalls at The Study in the Glencoe Pass.

The Aonach Eagach offers one of the best mainland scrambles in Scotland for experienced hillwalkers.