GLENCOE’S Easiest, Most Spectacular Walk

Start: parking area on left hand side of the A82.This is normally to allow visitors to walk back to the bridge over the ‘Meeting of the Three Waters.’

OR, head on to a pull in area big enough for two cars beside a gate 100m beyond the parking area (approaching from the north.)

Length: around 1 mile each way if you go the whole distance.

Time; about 40 mins each way depending on how far you decide to walk

Difficulty: easy though waterproof shoes/ boots best as it can be quite wet in places.

Rating:5 stars

With short time or simple laziness or with companions who are not up to anything very strenuous, the stroll along GLENCOE’s old road is absolutely superb.The famous and stunning glen is often just a pit stop for a 5 min stare and some photos with visitors unsure of how to enjoy it a bit longer.And it does deserve much longer! While most walks or hikes in the glen are up, up up onto the big peaks, they rise so steeply all around, this easy wander makes the most of the old road through the Glen of Weeping, high above the traffic and the crowds below.

If parking at the pull in area beside the gate, the path is very good from the start.

From the larger parking area some rough, boggy ground needs to be crossed to access the old road but it really only takes a few minutes.

Last month in February, we parked at the Three Waters area which also gives a nice view of one of the three rivers which rush through Glencoe.

There is a great view from here of the Three Sisters, the craggy mountains which dominate the glen.Behind them , lies Argyll’s highest peak, Bidean nam Bian at  1150m/3772 feet.

We walked a few metres to where there was an obvious crossing of the river (a tiny burn at this point) which led to a very boggy area of moorland.Cross the burn where the black car is parked.

Not much of a burn to cross…

Bog Alert!

But we dodged our way over it and were soon on the main path – the old road.

This gave us a delightfully easy walk with only minor ups and downs and with the mountains all around.The road lay below and felt a long way away somehow.We felt far from the madding crowd.The Three Sisters range below…

There were little waterfalls to admire…

…and the beautiful winter colours of the mountains (we’d had very little snow this year) plus a chance to gander at the various high level routes we’d climbed over the years.The snowy mountain on the left is Buachaille Etive beag, the easiest and shortest ‘biggie’ in the glen.

It was really windy today so another reason to stay low…the winds on Buachaille Etive Beag’s summit…

The sun was beginning to shine too – a major bonus after the cloudy, slightly gloomy start.But in all weathers, Glencoe looks magnificent.Zoomed to Bidean nam Bian, the highest peak in the glen.

Although just above sea level , if this were the Alps, it would be as if one were up in really high country seeing the topmost peaks.Many of the Scottish mountains are so accessible which I think is a great advantage and makes them so appealing.No need to slog for hour and hours or days to get to the good stuff.It’s right there!

We sauntered along to the end of the path, lots of puddles in places given the rain we’d had recently.A lovely old stone wall marks where the old road descends to the newer A82 with great views up to the steep slopes of the Aonach Eagach ridge.

Close up views of the Three Sisters (or two of them!) at the stone wall…

The famed Aonach Eagach ridge on the right…

Away down at the bottom of the glen, hidden from here, lies Loch Achtriochtan, another lovely stretch of water and well worth a stop to enjoy; it has a small car park.

We’ve done this walk in high summer when the mountains are at their greenest, a deep emerald but today the colours were tawny and gold with snow dusting the higher slopes.

There are golden eagles in the glen though we didn’t see them today.

It was then a case of simply walking back, a minor climb up to the more level section of the path.We met a couple of photographers, tripods over their shoulders, heading for the end of the path – it’s a favourite haunt of those who are serious about their hobby.

For a cuppa, something stronger, a snack or lunch, the two best options a few mins drive away are the Clachaig Inn, a well known climbers/walkers pub or the more upmarket Kingshouse Hotel.Both are in stunning locations with fantastic mountain views.

The Kingshouse here with Buachaille Etive Mor (the Great Shepherd o f Etive) in the background.

As easy a walk as you could wish yet delivering a grandstand view of a fabulous glen that deserves far more time than is often devoted to it.