Glencoe Area, Day 6 (4/18/26)

I'm not going to lie, getting motivated to get started on the trail was hard. It was cold, rainy, and blustery. A day like this at home? Hard pass, thankyouverymuch. BUT ... we didn't come all the way to Scotland for hiking, only to wuss out.

Once we got moving, it was an amazing "walk". Scots are a different breed, calling these hikes "walks" This was a proper hike, in weather that, at home, we would have bailed on.

The hike we choose was Coire Gabhail (The Lost Valley), and the history of the area is fascinating. This is where Clan MacDonald and the survivors of 1692 survivors of the Massacre of Glencoe hid with their cattle from the Clan Campbell. 

There was a bit of descent from the car park to the beginning of the trail. In the rain, it was slick. We were both immediately thankful for our investments in quality GoreTex hiking shoes. I was also glad that I had layers - so many layers. I started out in fleece-lined leggings, my "smartie pants" (what Jay named my waterproof outer layer), long-sleeved shirt, vest, jacket, and a raincoat. And I was still chilled.

Coire Gabhail "The Lost Valley"

Just beyond the sign marking the trail beginning was a metal set of stairs that were steep, narrow, and treacherous, but as soon as we stepped off the staircase, we knew we were in for an amazing hike.

 

Water ran right down the middle of the trail.
I had a blast, feeling like a kid stomping in puddles.

It didn't take long for me to warm up and start shedding layers. The first to go was my heavy jacket. We approached hiking in Scotland with maybe a bit too much confidence. We hike, at altitude, much farther distances than any we planned in Scotland. The Lost Valley brought us back to reality in short order.

Yes, the distances were less than what we hike at home. Yes, we were hiking basically at sea level, basically drowning in oxygen. We were not prepared for the "hill walking". The distances were short, but the elevation gain was not. I don't think we managed a single hill walk from this point forward with an elevation gain of less than 1,000 feet in a short distance.

The last time we traveled and Jay crossed a
rock path in a river, he accidentally stepped
into a deep hole and disappeared.

You can bet I watched him very carefully this
time to make sure he didn't disappear. This river
was much colder and wilder than the one in Italy.

Picking my way across the river.

The river crossing was very close to the summit, and we'd crossed a waterfall, which was cool, but I only got videos that blogger won't let me upload.

When we reached the summit, we took a moment to imagine what it would have been like to hide people and cattle up here. Our hike was a breeze compared to what they had to do. The trees that littered the valley and blocked the entrance are long gone (it was over 300 years ago, after all).

The requisite summit picture. Imagine that valley full of cattle
and people who had barely survived a massacre.

The rain had let up briefly, but was beginning again in earnest. The reviews I'd read had said that in the rain the river rises quickly and overruns the stone steps across, leaving people stranded until it recedes. I did not want to be stranded on the summit side of the river, so I insisted we head back right away, rather than exploring the valley further.

Coming down the trail with the water flowing
was one of my favorite things.

The river hadn't risen a lot by the time we got
back to it, for which I was grateful.

The little rock scramble at toward the end
of the trail.

Back at the car park!

It was a tough three miles, but worth every step, and I'm so thankful we forced ourselves to do it. Even though I've been hiking a lot in the last five years, this one hike did more for my confidence on the trail than any other I've done. I think it's because I hiked in conditions I would never hike in at home and did just fine. 

After the hike, we had to do laundry. Our B&B host recommended a little laundromat in Coal, which was wonderful! There are free-standing self-serve laundromats in the parking lots of gas stations, but he warned us away from those. They apparently are often plagued with credit card skimmers.

It was a tiny little place, and very busy, but
the laundress kept everything moving quickly.

With our clothes squared away for a few more days, we had to hunt down some food. On the way, the sun broke through the clouds and everything looked completely different.

We had great weather for the rest of the trip!

I don't recall where we ended up for food. I can picture the building and the table we sat at, but I don't remember which little village it was in. Fort William, maybe? It was there that I found my new favorite hard cider.

It was a good way to cap off a day that started hard, but ended wonderfully.