MAIN Travel Europe Scotland

In the Scottish Highlands, Glencoe Rocks!

For poets, painters and film fans, hikers and climbers, daytrippers, history and nature buffs — Glencoe has it all.

This prime Scottish Highlands location offers first-time visitors not only a grand vista of nature in the raw, but a strange and timeless feeling of having been here before.

What is it about Glencoe that keeps calling us back?

It may yet be the dozens of ghosts still crying out for justice following an historic massacre of the McDonald clan by Scottish troops aided by the despised Campbell clan in 1692. The Campbell-and-McDonald controversy haunts the glen to this day.

As mists descend over the mountains, even Dickens thought the glen was haunted by witches and demons. On the modern big screen, the mystery of the glen has become the natural film home of the gentle giant, Hagrid, of Harry Potter fame, as well as the scene of the explosive climax in the James Bond film, Skyfall.

Ah, but when the sun shines - that's when the mountains beckon with its gentle slopes - luring hikers way up its heathery crags and gushing waterfalls for a look at miles of surrounding countryside — whose colors seem to glisten and change as each cloud rolls by.

On your next trip to Scotland, have your pencil, paint brush or camera in hand, and don't miss a trip to the Highlands and Glencoe which never ceases to resonate with an awesome beauty, and an intriguing past...

Getting to Glencoe

Unless you're only staying in Scotland for a short time, there's really no exucse for missing the unforgettable drive through the Scottish Highlands. About equi-distant from Glasgow and Edinburgh, Glencoe makes for one memorable day trip from either city:

Driving to Glencoe from Glasgow: Follow the M8 and cross the Erskine Bridge to follow A82 to Glencoe. Driving time approx. 2 hours.

Driving to Glencoe from Edinburgh: Take the M9 to Stirling to get off at Junction 10, signposted Callendar and A84. The A84 joins the A82 at Crianlarich. Driving time approx. 2 1/2 hours.

For a guided tour, many travel companies in both Edinburgh and Glasgow offer tour buses that whisk visitors to the area with running commentary that often include stops in Glencoe, the Highlands, and Loch Ness.

More about Glencoe & the Scottish Highlands on the Web:

• Glencoe Scotland - the complete tour with photos, accommodation & history.

• Undiscovered Scotland - Glencoe - picture gallery and a good history of the MacDonald-Campbell feud.

• Discover Glencoe & Loch Leven - Marketing association site with information on hotels & accommodations, sites & attractions.

also see in Travel -> Harry Potter Travel Tours | Top Scottish Castles

Scotch Distillery Visits | Scotland Luxury Hotels