Edinburgh to Glencoe Tour

Book an Edinburgh to Glencoe tour

At Heartland Travel we have a selection of tours which include Glencoe. Our 3-day Isle of Skye tour makes its way through Rannoch Moor, passing by the Glencoe ski Centre, then on to the spectacular Glen itself.

Glencoe has a haunting atmosphere and is often referred to as the ‘Glen of Weeping’ due to the massacre that took place in the valley on the 13^th of February 1692. This murderous act was executed by the Campbells against the Clan McDonald. More than 30 lives were taken at the order of the King.

On the Classic 4-day Isle of Skye and Inverness tour, we include Glencoe as part of the ultimate journey through the Highlands. On this journey you will have the opportunity to see the village of Glencoe, at the far end of the glen, and enjoy some lunch at the Glencoe Visitor Centre.

The Centre, operated by the National Trust for Scotland, includes an exhibition, café, shop and a wonderful viewing platform giving you an amazing perspective of Glencoe.

Bespoke opportunities to visit Glencoe

If you have chosen a private, bespoke tour and where we are creating something tailor made for you, we will be working closely with you to create the perfect itinerary. We would usually recommend, if possible, to include Glencoe in our route as it is one of Scotland’s most spectacular areas.

One clear advantage of choosing a bespoke tour is that you are involved in the planning from the very start. If you want to spend more time in the Glencoe area, then this can be arranged.

There are many incredible walks in the area with to suit a variety of levels. Such as the Lost Valley (or Hidden Glen) which is a vast area between two mountains. This surprising glen is so well hidden from the outset. This route provides a tantalising reward at the top – soon into the route upward, the path opens and provides a meadowlike sense in the valley.

If you are an experienced hiker and enjoy a challenge, a day spent hiking the Aonach Eagach. This is an exposed scrambling along the ridge between Am Bodach and Stob Coire Leith. Experience and a head for heights is required.

Edinburgh to Glencoe Tour via the Trossachs

Heading north to leave Stirling’s distinctive flood plain and volcanic outcrops behind, and the landscape becomes more rugged. This terrain beguiled the Romantics, including Ruskin and Millais, also inspiring Sir Walter Scott’s 1810 poem The Lady of the Lake and his later historical novel Rob Roy.

This is the home of Scotland’s first National Park: Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Its footprint covers 720 square miles of lochs, glens, and mountains, boasting unparalleled biodiversity. Rivers are clear, ospreys still soar above ancient deciduous trees, and squirrels are bright flashes of red, not grey.

Further north is the stark landscape of Rannoch moor, close to where filmmakers created Claire’s mysterious disappearance in Outlander.  Traverse the moor to Glencoe, perhaps Scotland’s most emblematic glen, whose silver waters are towered over by Buachaille Etive Mor and The Three Sisters peaks. Glencoe’s terrible beauty is perhaps best experienced in less clement weather, when mists deepen the silence and communicate something of this landscape’s unsettling past.

The massacre of the clan MacDonald here in 1692 fuelled the Jacobite uprisings of 1715 and 1745, and went on to capture the imaginations of authors throughout the centuries. This striking landscape has also caught the eye of filmmakers to provide backdrops for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in 2003, and more recently, for the 2012 James Bond movie, Skyfall.