Last Friday we set off towards Scotland’s west coast. Our destination was Strontian, a village in Lochaber, west of Loch Linnhe. But our trip took us through the rugged and stunning scenery of Glencoe.
At this time of year, most of the peaks are snow covered, adding to their splendour. The highest peak is Bidean nam Bian. Its summit, also known as the “Peak of the Mountains”, reaches an elevation of 1,150 metres (3,773 feet). Close by is one of the most iconic mountains in Scotland, Buachaille Etive Mòr, situated at the entrance to Glencoe. It consists of two main peaks of 1022 metres and 956 metres.
We stopped a couple of times to take in the views before finally parking-up at the Glencoe visitor centre. Even here, with the benefit of some shelter from the cold wind, we didn’t dwell outdoors for too long. After a coffee and quick walk with our two dogs, we set off again on the road to our destination.
Our route took us past the village of Glencoe. This sleepy place (at least it is this time of year) has a memorial to a dark event that took place in winter 1692. The massacre of Glencoe resulted in the deaths of some 38 people at the hands of government troops, with more dying of exposure after fleeing into the mountains. The victims were members of the MacDonald clan who had been late in pledging their allegiance to the new monarchs, William and Mary. We visited the memorial a few years ago on a previous trip to Glencoe.
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