An Overview Of Glencoe

Glencoe is one of the most dramatic glens in Scotland with one of the most disturbing and painful stories of the Jacobean Period. As you enter from either side of the glen, the steep sides start to tower above your head ending with rugged peaks glistening in the sunshine.

It is a popular spot for walking and hiking with tracks going to the tops of the mountains whilst others find hidden glens with waterfalls having crystal clear waters. After a few minutes walk, you can be in peace and serenity absorbing the rugged beauty and history.

Several films have been filmed in Glencoe, the most recent being the third Harry Potter film where they recreated Hagrid’s House. Sections of Rob Roy and Highlander were also filmed here.

It is not the natural beauty alone which has earned Glencoe its reputation across Scotland, it is the infamous massacre of the MacDonald’s by the Campbell’s in 1692.
This was by no means the biggest murder in the often bloody clan times but it is the one which has burnt its way into the highland memory as one of the most despicable.

The Campbell’s had accepted the ‘Highland Hospitality’ of the MacDonalds, which was a point of honour and had enjoyed the homes, fires and food of their hosts during a period of atrocious weather. Unknown to the MacDonalds they had been sent with orders from William of Orange that they were to put the clan to death, despite the chief having recently signed an oath of allegiance to the new King.

It was this ‘murder under trust’ that so shocked the highlanders and earned the Campbells their pitiful reputation throughout the land. This is but a brief rendition of the circumstances under which many of the proud MacDonalds met their end – for the full story one should really be stood under the brooding hills which flank the glen, only then can you get a real feel for what went on.

What we do in Glencoe:

• Walks
• History and legends
• Take in the scenery