Approaching Glencoe from the east, one has to cross the wild expanse of a waterlogged Rannoch Moor, over which the road rises to more than 1,100 feet. In winter, with the lakes frozen, and the sky a lead grey, this can be bleak indeed. Yet to someone with the sensibilities to appreciate it, Rannoch Moor has a compelling beauty, which encapsulates something of the romance and grandeur of the Scottish Highlands.
The Mountains of Glencoe
As one passes the White Corries Ski Centre, and begins a slow descent, the craggy pyramid of Buachaille Etive Mor, stark backdrop to many a film scene, gives a foretaste of the magnificence to come. Then with a shocking suddenness, one finds oneself at the head of the glen, through which the road winds to sea level, hemmed in on both sides by rocky walls of impossible steepness, rising way beyond the 3000-foot contour.
To the north is Aonach Eagach, the narrowest mountain ridge on the Scottish mainland, surpassed in magnitude and seriousness only by the Cuillin Ridge on the Isle of Skye. The eastern end of the arête is reached by a very steep ascent, and once attained, must be followed for two miles before one can return to the valley, for both sides are guarded by heather-clad precipices that are shattered by numerous cracks and gullies.
To the south, the walls are more broken, but no less formidable, and consist of pillars that seem to scrape the sky: Buachaille Etive Beag, Beinn Fhada, Gear Aonach and Aonach Dubh.
Many of these peaks qualify for full status as Munros, being more than 3,000 feet (914 metres) high, while several others, lacking sufficient isolation from the main summits, yet still rising above 3,000 feet, are classified as ‘tops’ and pose their own individual challenges to the experienced mountaineer.
Peering through a gap between the peaks of Bein Fhada and Gear Aonach, and easily missed as one drives down the glen, is Stob Coire Sgreamhach, beneath which lies the rock-strewn, inhospitable hanging valley of Coire Gabhail. Reached by means of a steep gully track that skirts around huge, moss-covered boulders, this is also known as ‘The Hidden Valley’, and is one of the refuges to which the survivors of the Glencoe massacre fled in 1693.
The Glencoe Massacre
Following the Battle of the Boyne, in 1690, in which the forces of William of Orange defeated James II of England (James VII of Scotland), the Scottish supporters of James, the Jacobites, were given amnesty if they took an oath of allegiance to William before 31st December 1692. As a result of winter weather, together with other delays, the chief of the MacDonald clan, of Glencoe, was deemed late in taking his oath.
To make an example of the clan, soldiers of the Earl of Argyll’s Regiment, under Captain Robert Campbell, and comprising several members of the Campbell clan, set about killing the MacDonalds on the night of 13th February 1693. 38 of the MacDonalds were slaughtered, an event which flouted all the accepted laws of hospitality, as the regiment had been billeted in Glencoe for several weeks prior to the massacre. Enmity between the Campbells and MacDonalds lasted for centuries.
Glencoe Visitor Centre
Continuing down the glen, one passes Loch Achtriochtan, from which the impressive Bidean nam Bian, the highest mountain in Argyll, can be glimpsed to the south. Two miles farther is the National Trust for Scotland’s Glencoe Visitor Centre. The entrance corridor is lined with photographs of many people associated with Glencoe, such as a mountaineer, geologist, forester, artist, historian, schoolgirl and others. Each has recorded a short comment about their impressions or recollections of the valley.
The main space is occupied by several displays. Glencoe’s complex geology is illustrated by a video of its 500 million year history, together with rock samples that include andesite, schist, rhyolite and granite. Another video looks at the importance of mountaineering in Glencoe, with examples of climbing equipment used at various times during the past century.
Human history, from the early Christian and Viking, through the mediaeval and Victorian eras is depicted by concentrating on individuals of the periods, while a further film tells the story of the Glencoe massacre.
The National Trust for Scotland operates an open access policy toward the mountains. The issues associated with this are discussed: threatened species, rare plants, tourism, footpaths, management of deer and sheep.
Two miles beyond the visitor centre, one reaches the southern shoe of Loch Leven. Prior to 1975, one either had to cross this by ferry, or make a 12-mile detour by road to reach the north shore. Now, one merely crosses a bridge from South to North Ballchulish, from which one continues along the shore of Loch Linnhe to Fort William.
Anthony Toole - I was born and brought up in the English Lake District, where I have walked and climbed for most of my life. I was educated as a scientist ...
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