Quintessential Highland adventures — hiking in Glen Coe

This gentle woodland walk is wonderfully serene, taking you around Glencoe Lochan in an anti-clockwise direction. The tall redwoods found here were planted around the turn of the 20th century by Lord Strathcona in an attempt to comfort his homesick Canadian wife. It was a ploy that failed, as the couple… read more

Starting from perhaps Britain’s most legendary mountain inn, this walk takes you through mixed woodland to Signal Rock, the spot Glen Coe’s Clan MacDonald would convene and converse in times of strife. The story goes that it was at Signal Rock where the Campbells lit a fire in order to signal the start… read more

This is a mountain that owes its popularity to Buachaille Etive Mòr’s Stob Dearg summit, as Beinn a’ Chrulaiste is perhaps the finest place from which to appreciate Scotland’s most recognisable peak.



This makes Beinn a’ Chrulaiste the site of more than its fair share of wild camping trips and many a landscape… read more

The Pap of Glencoe, or properly Sgorr na Cìche, is an instantly recognisable conical hump that rises in isolation at the far western end of the Aonach Eagach ridge system. Its beguiling shape and position overlooking the village of Glencoe make it the region’s most notable mini-mountain.



However, the… read more

Buachaille Etive Beag is a magnificent mountain ridge that’s forever in the shadow of its famous and even Mòr (excuse the pun) magnificent neighbour. Its big brother may enjoy all the admiring glances and contain the more exciting ascents but Buachaille Etive Beag has a few aces up its sleeve too.



For… read more

Thought to have been named by the soldiers that built the path in the 18th century, The Devil’s Staircase is a high pass that takes you from Glen Coe towards Kinlochleven. It’s the highest point of the West Highland Way, at 1,798 feet (548 m), and one of its most famous sections. Given the excellent… read more

Buachaille Etive Mòr is one of Scotland’s most iconic mountains, perhaps second only to Ben Nevis. Its Stob Dearg peak – commonly referred to as ‘the Buachaille’ – is certainly the Highlands’ most recognisable mountain. Towering above Rannoch Moor, this ‘herdsman’ of the River Etive is an awesome squat… read more

Beinn a’ Bheithir is a monstrous, horseshoe-shaped massif that towers above the western end of Loch Leven and the village of Ballachulish. It roughly translates to ‘Mountain of the Thunderbolt’ or ‘Mountain of the Beast’ and its folklore is rich in tales of dragons inhabiting its slopes. There’s no shortage… read more

Bidean Nam Bian is the summit of the gigantic Bidean massif, a complex system of high ridge lines and grand corries that contain more than their fair share of drama. The Lost Valley – or Coire Gabhail to give it its proper title – is the Bidean’s most famous corrie.



Suspended high above Glen Coe and… read more

The Bidean massif has four principal summits, all above 3,600 feet (1,100 m) and each with their own character. Stob Coire nan Lochan and Stob Coire nam Beith are too close to the higher Bidean Nam Bian summit to warrant separate Munro status but they are wonderful objectives in their own right. This… read more

The Aonach Eagach’s notched ridge line creates an intimidatingly steep wall that dominates the north of Glen Coe. The traverse of its crest is often said to be the finest of its kind on mainland Britain. It’s a rite of passage for any adventurous hill walker.



While undoubtedly challenging, the traverse… read more