Glencoe
is unquestionably one of Scotland's most historic and scenic glens. Visitors
holiday here from all over the world - year after year, inspired by the
sheer scale and grandeur of its surrounding mountains and fascinated by the
intrigue of its turbulent past. The name Glen Coe is often said to mean
'Glen of Weeping', perhaps with some reference to the infamous Massacre of
Glencoe which took place there in 1692. Robert Campbell in charge of two companies of
troops was given quarters for himself and his men by the MacDonalds of Glencoe and treated
most hospitably as was the highland custom.Campbell held a grudge against the MacDonalds
and was under English orders to kill all members of the settlement under 70yrs of
age. It was the way in which Campbell turned on his hosts, in
breach of the ultimate ethic of Highland hospitality, which later gave special notoriety
to the massacre. However, 'Gleann
Comhann' does not translate as 'Glen of Weeping'. In fact the Glen is named
for the River Coe which runs through it, and bore this name long prior to
the 1692 incident. The name of the river itself is believed to predate the
Gaelic language and its meaning is not known. One possibility is that it was
named for a tribe once living in the area; however this remains speculation.
It is also possible that the name stems from an individual personal name,
Chomain or Comhan. Glen Coe was originally part of the lands of Clan Donald,
though since the ending of the clan structure they progressively sold off
their estates. Other than a few scattered farms, the only settlement in Glen
Coe is the village of Glencoe, which lies at the western end of the glen
close to Invercoe where the river joins Loch Leven. About 2 km to the west,
on the southern shore of the loch, is the village of Ballachulish, known in
the past for its slate quarries, which have been worked since 1760.
On the A82 3ml East of the junction with
A828
