From Issue Four of Hidden Scotland Magazine

Glencoe Lochan - A Canadian Love Letter

A gentle walk round Glencoe Lochan and the story behind it.

Words by Graeme Johncock · Photographs by Daniel Casson

Printed in Issue Four of Hidden Scotland Magazine, Spring and Summer 2022.

Many people view Glencoe as only a place to stop briefly and marvel at the iconic Three Sisters while passing through. They might think that walking here is only for those adventurous hikers heading up to Bidean nam Bian or the Pap of Glencoe. Fortunately, there’s another option. A gentle stroll with a tender love story behind it.

Amidst the landscape of soaring mountains and heather, the serene Glencoe Lochan is a welcome change. If the woodland walk feels a little out of place in this area of the Highlands, then that’s because it is. This entire area was created as a little slice of Canada by Lord Strathcona in the 1890s.

Glencoe Lochan - A Canadian Love Letter, photograph by Daniel Casson

Born in Forres, Donald Alexander Smith didn’t start off life with a silver spoon in his mouth. His father worked as a saddler, but Donald was lucky enough to benefit from a school education. After being offered an apprenticeship as a lawyer, the young man looked set for an ordinary, respectable life. That was until his uncle, the explorer John Stuart, returned to Scotland from Canada and filled the boy’s head with wild stories of adventure.

For members