Glencoe, Scotland
Encyclopedia
- This article refers to the village: for the glen itself, see Glen CoeGlen CoeGlen Coe is a glen in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies in the southern part of the Lochaber committee area of Highland Council, and was formerly part of the county of Argyll. It is often considered one of the most spectacular and beautiful places in Scotland, and is a part of the designated...
.
Glencoe Village (Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
: A’ Chàrnaich) is the main settlement in Glen Coe
Glen Coe
Glen Coe is a glen in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies in the southern part of the Lochaber committee area of Highland Council, and was formerly part of the county of Argyll. It is often considered one of the most spectacular and beautiful places in Scotland, and is a part of the designated...
, Lochaber
Lochaber
District of Lochaber 1975 to 1996Highland council area shown as one of the council areas of ScotlandLochaber is one of the 16 ward management areas of the Highland Council of Scotland and one of eight former local government districts of the two-tier Highland region...
, Highland
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It lies at the north-west end of the glen, on the southern bank of the River Coe
River Coe
The River Coe rises at the north-eastern base of Buachaille Etive Beag and flows west along Glen Coe, Scotland. After dramatic waterfalls at the Pass of Glen Coe. It runs through the small Loch Achtriochtan before it turns north west...
where it enters Loch Leven
Loch Leven (Highlands)
Loch Leven 'is a sea loch on the west coast of Scotland. It is spelled Loch Lyon in Timothy Pont's map of the areaand is pronounced Li' un. There is a Leven in Lennox and another in Glen Lyon similarly pronounced...
a salt-water loch off Loch Linnhe
Loch Linnhe
Loch Linnhe is a sea loch on the west coast of Scotland....
).
Massacre of Glencoe
Early in the morning of 13 February 1692, in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution and the Jacobite uprising of 1689 led by John Graham of Claverhouse, an infamous massacre took place in Glen Coe, in the Highlands of Scotland. This incident is referred to as the Massacre of Glencoe, or in...
in the 1690s, in which MacDonalds and Hendersons were killed by the Campbells acting on the orders of King William II
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
. The village occupies an area of the glen known as Carnoch. Native Gaelic speakers who belong to the area always refer to the village as A'Charnaich, meaning "the place of cairns". Even today there is Upper Carnoch and Lower Carnoch. A small hospital - currently empty - with emergency services at Fort William 16 miles away, lies at the southern end of the village just over an arched stone bridge.
Within Glencoe Village there is a small village shop (now a Nisa), Episcopal Church of Scotland kirk, Glencoe & North Lorn local history museum, Post Office, Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team centre, an Outdoor Centre, numerous quality bed and breakfast establishments, and a small primary school. Several eating establishments are around including the Glencoe Hotel, Glencoe Cafe, Crafts & Things situated in Glencoe village. The Clachaig Inn
Clachaig Inn
The Clachaig Inn is a famous hotel and pub in Glen Coe, Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. It is popular with walkers and climbers who come to visit the surrounding mountains....
is situated further up the glen, close to where the infamous massacre took place. Glencoe is also a popular location for self catering holidays; with many chalets, cottages and lodges available for weekly and short break rental. Also located in the village, but along the A82, is the Glencoe Visitor Centre, run by the National Trust for Scotland. This modern (constructed in 2002) visitor centre houses a coffee shop, store, and information centre.
The village is in the historic county
Counties of Scotland
The counties of Scotland were the principal local government divisions of Scotland until 1975. Scotland's current lieutenancy areas and registration counties are largely based on them. They are often referred to as historic counties....
of Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
, although this part of Argyll now lies in The Highland Region.
The village sits at the entrance to Glen Coe and is surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery and is popular with serious hill-walkers, rock and ice climbers. It has been seen in numerous films, including Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a 2004 fantasy film directed by Alfonso Cuarón and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the third instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by Chris Columbus, David Heyman and Mark Radcliffe...
as the home of Hagrid.
Well known residents include Hamish MacInnes
Hamish MacInnes
Dr Hamish MacInnes is a Scottish mountaineer, leading mountain search and rescuer, author and advisor. He is the leading Scottish winter mountaineer of the generation following W. H. Murray....
, inventor of the McInnes Stretcher, and Jimmy Savile
Jimmy Savile
Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile, OBE, KCSG was an English disc jockey, television presenter and media personality, best known for his BBC television show Jim'll Fix It, and for being the first and last presenter of the long-running BBC music chart show Top of the Pops...
, TV personality and a former Chieftain of the Lochaber Highland Games.
See also
- 2009 Buachaille Etive Mòr avalanche2009 Buachaille Etive Mòr avalancheThe Buachaille Etive Mòr avalanche occurred on Buachaille Etive Mòr in Glen Coe in the Scottish Highlands, UK on 24 January 2009. Three mountain climbers were killed and one sustained a serious shoulder injury. Two of the dead were from Northern Ireland and the other was from Scotland...
- Glencoe LochanGlencoe LochanGlencoe Lochan is a tract of forest located just north of Glencoe village in the Scottish Highlands. It was planted/transplanted from the Pacific Northwest of Canada in the nineteenth century by Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal....
- Lady Jade Preston of Glencoe