Did you know
13 February 1692.
In 1692, 38 men, women and children of Clan MacDonald were killed by government soldiers who had been welcomed into their homes.
Glencoe
Glencoe
A deep Highland glen walled in by the Three Sisters and the Aonach Eagach, cared for by the National Trust for Scotland, with a visitor centre off the A82.
Welcome
Glencoe is one of the most famous glens in Scotland, a deep valley walled in by mountains, with the cliffs of the Three Sisters on one side and the Aonach Eagach ridge along the other.
The mountains were formed in violent volcanic eruptions and shaped by glaciers, and eight Munros, the Scottish mountains over 3,000 feet, tower above the glen. Legend says that Fingal, a Celtic hero, made his home here, and that his son Ossian found his poetry in these hills.
It is also remembered for 13 February 1692, when 38 men, women and children of Clan MacDonald were killed by government soldiers they had welcomed into their homes. The National Trust for Scotland cares for the glen. Start at its visitor centre, where a giant 3D map, films and an exhibition set out the glen, and a reconstruction of a 17th-century turf and creel house stands a short walk away. Parking is £4 a car, and dogs are welcome on a lead.
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Before you go
The glen is open at any time.
The visitor centre and café keep shorter hours in winter, and the car park is £4 a car.
- Where
- Glencoe National Nature Reserve, near Glencoe village, Lochaber PH49 4HX. The visitor centre is just off the A82, signed by tourist brown signs at the west end of the glen.
- Open
- The glen is open daily, at any time. The visitor centre, shop and turf house are open 09:30 to 17:00 until 25 October, then 09:30 to 16:00 from 26 October to 21 March 2027, and closed on 24 to 26 December and 31 December to 1 January. The Highland Coo Café is open 09:30 to 16:00.
- Price
- Free to visit; the car park is £4 a car and free for National Trust for Scotland members.
- Parking
- At the visitor centre, £4 a car; the ticket machines take card and cash. Overnight parking is not permitted. There is no space for large motorhomes or cars towing caravans, which can use the laybys on the A82 and walk in along the Glencoe Greenway.
- Dogs
- Welcome in the glen, on a lead or kept under close control, as there are grazing livestock. Well-behaved dogs on a lead are also welcome inside the visitor centre, including the café.
- Getting there
- Daily Citylink and Ember coaches between Glasgow, Edinburgh and Fort William stop at the junction of the visitor centre drive and the A82, and care is needed crossing the main road. Local buses end in Glencoe village, from where the traffic-free Glencoe Greenway leads to the visitor centre.
- Access
- Every area of the visitor centre is reached step-free, with an accessible toilet. The mountain viewpoint and the turf house are along a compacted gravel path. The Glencoe Greenway is a 3-metre-wide traffic-free path for walkers, wheelchairs, pushchairs and bikes, and beyond it the glen is mountain ground.
- Food
- The Highland Coo Café at the visitor centre serves gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options; ask staff for allergy information.
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Did you know
Fingal's glen.
The legendary hero Fingal is said to have made his home here, and his son Ossian found his poetry in these mountains.
Did you know
Eight Munros.
Eight Munros tower above the glen, and the Trust maintains more than 37 miles of footpaths here.
Did you know
A house of turf and creels.
Beside the visitor centre is a reconstruction of a 17th-century turf and creel house, showing how the MacDonalds lived.
Did you know
A star of the screen.
The glen has appeared in Harry Potter, Outlaw King, The 39 Steps, Braveheart, Rob Roy and Skyfall.
Did you know
In the Trust's care since 1935.
The National Trust for Scotland has looked after Glencoe since 1935.
Hidden Scotland
From our guide to Lochaber
The drive through Glencoe is one you won't forget. The A82 drops off Rannoch Moor into a deep, narrow glen walled in by mountains, with the Three Sisters standing like great buttresses on one side and the jagged Aonach Eagach along the other. Volcanoes made these mountains and glaciers carved them. The glen is remembered for the massacre of 13 February 1692, when government soldiers turned on the MacDonalds who had taken them in as guests. The National Trust for Scotland has cared for it since 1935 and looks after miles of paths through it.
Read more
What is on
What is new across Glencoe, day by day.
New places, news and stories, as we find them.
What is on in GlencoeWhere it is
On the A82 at the west end of the glen, with the National Trust for Scotland visitor centre signed from the road near Glencoe village.
Close byIn Glencoe.
Glencoe LochanA still lochan above Glencoe village, ringed by Canadian trees planted for a homesick wife and mirroring the Pap of Glencoe.Under a mile 2 min by road
Glencoe Visitor CentreThe National Trust for Scotland's timber visitor centre in Glencoe, with a giant 3D map of the glen, an exhibition, a cafe and a reconstructed turf house.2 miles 5 min by road
The Lost ValleyThe hidden valley among the Three Sisters of Glen Coe where the MacDonalds kept their rustled cattle, reached by a short, rough climb.2 miles 4 min by road
Three Sisters of GlencoeThree steep ridges running down into Glen Coe from the Bidean nam Bian massif, seen from a viewpoint beside the A82 and walked into from below.3 miles 5 min by road
Aonach EagachGlen Coe's northern wall and the narrowest ridge on the British mainland, a serious scramble between two Munros.4 miles 6 min by road
Clachaig InnThe walkers' and climbers' inn deep in Glencoe, with log fires, more than 365 malt whiskies, live music, food all day and rooms.4 miles 7 min by road
Stay nearby
Places to stay near the glen, and when each is next free.
RiverBeds at Woodlands Glencoe- Sleeps 2
- In Ballachulish
- 3 miles from Glencoe
Stormhouse South- Sleeps 2
- In Appin
- 13 miles from Glencoe
Stormhouse North- Sleeps 2
- In Appin
- 13 miles from Glencoe
Slochd- Sleeps 2
- In Barcaldine
- 15 miles from Glencoe
Hidden Scotland, the magazine
Scotland, in print.
We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.
Read on
What we have written about it, the collections it is in and more in Glencoe.
Find out more
For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .
- Glencoe National Nature ReserveThe glen, the visitor centre and the history.nts.org.ukNational Trust for Scotland↗
- Planning your visitOpening times, parking, prices and how to get there.nts.org.ukNational Trust for Scotland↗
- Glencoe accessibility guidePaths, parking and facilities in detail.nts.org.ukNational Trust for Scotland↗
- The Lost ValleyThe MacDonalds' hidden valley.walkhighlands.co.ukWalkhighlands↗
- The Pap of GlencoeA viewpoint over Loch Leven.walkhighlands.co.ukWalkhighlands↗