Is it Glencoe or Glen Coe? Whichever way you write it, and it seems to appear in both forms, Glencoe is a stunning place that conjures every superlative that you could conceive.
When travelling home to Fort William, Glencoe is the place that tells us we’re nearly home as we wind through the majestic mountain pass that takes you from Rannoch Moor down to Glencoe village and on toward Loch Linnhe upon the shores of which Fort William resides.
In my mind Glencoe is the village that sits at the foot of the glen, and Glen Coe is the awesome valley that has been shaped over the millennia into what it is today.
Geologically speaking, Glen Coe is volcanic in origin but its shape is the result of the movement of an ice age glacier and the evidence of this is scattered throughout the floor of the glen.
Of course the name Glen Coe is synonymous with the historic Massacre of Glencoe which took place on 13th February 1692, when it is estimated that 30 members of the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by government forces.
Photographically speaking, Glen Coe is an amazing place to visit, which I do often.
The Hidden Valley is accessed from the glen itself, and is a worthwhile climb; but the Glen Coe itself is divided by the River Coe from which the glen gets its name. The River Coe begins life at the foot of Buachaille Etive Beag and passes over the waterfalls at the Pass of Glen Coe and on through the glen down to Loch Ahtriochtan.
Whatever the weather is doing Glen Coe is a fantastic place to visit on any trip to the Highlands!
