Glen Coe

Glen Coe is a steep-sided glen in the Scottish Highlands, carved by an ice-age glacier through ancient volcanic rock. It lies in Argyll, near the border with Lochaber, and is known as the birthplace of Scottish mountaineering. The main settlement is the small village of Glencoe at the western end. The glen follows the River Coe, which flows west from Lochan na Fola to Loch Leven. Its dramatic scenery includes the Three Sisters peaks and the narrow Pass of Glen Coe. The glen’s wild beauty has long drawn walkers and climbers to its slopes and ridges. Scottish Natural Heritage once highlighted its “soaring, dramatic splendour” and the sharp contrast between high passes and wooded valleys. The A82 road through the glen is called one of the classic Highland journeys. Beneath its peaks lie hidden corries like Coire Gabhail, once used to conceal cattle. The north face rises in a sheer wall called the Aonach Eagach ridge. Visitors find a landscape of high peaks, waterfalls and scattered farms. The river drops over falls at the Pass before reaching Loch Achtriochtan. On the loch’s southern shore stands Ballachulish, once famous for its slate quarries. The glen’s slopes support rare alpine plants and moorland bogs. Golden eagles and ptarmigan live among the crags, while midges swarm in summer. At the foot of the glen, the village of Glencoe offers a quiet base for exploring.