The Lost Valley

Published on Thursday 6 April 2006 01:39

A WALK in the heart of one of the world's great mountain areas to a hidden valley which legend says has been used in times past as a place to hide people and livestock.

Distance/Time:

Three miles. Allow two to three hours.

Where to park:

At a car park with a view indicator by the side of the A82, three miles east of the Clachaig Inn.

Refreshments:

Clachaig Inn, at the bottom of Glencoe and King's House Hotel at the top - both world-famous watering-holes for walkers and climbers.

What to do in the area:

The National Trust for Scotland visitor centre at the foot of the valley has lots of information, natural and historical. Or take a boat trip on Loch Leven from Ballachulish, just past Glencoe village, along the A82.

The walk:

From the view indicator in the car park, go left and follow a path down to a track. Go left along the track and follow it round to the right. As the track starts to go left, a more distinct path almost immediately veers to the right and goes downhill to some wooden steps above a gorge. Go down the steps and over a wooden footbridge for a good view of the tumbling waters at the start of the River Coe. From here, climb steeply out of the gorge over well-worn rocks and as the path starts to go to the right, look left at the so-called Meeting of Three Waters. Carry on along the path as it makes its way up towards the valley with the waters of Allt Coire Gabhail plunging down the ravine to your left. Once through a gate in a deer fence, you can admire the other side of Glencoe, behind you, with the Aonach Eagach ridge dominating the skyline - a fearsome traverse, even for hardy climbers.

After this point take care as the drop to the left is severe and potentially fatal, especially in wet and icy conditions. Do, however, keep to the left, ignoring paths to the right. Once the ravine starts to widen, the path crosses the burn underneath large cliffs on the left. Keep going up the other side and eventually you emerge in the Lost Valley with the amphitheatre of hills around it. It was here the MacDonalds of Glencoe are said to have hidden their cattle from the Campbells. It was the Campbells, however, who eventually put the MacDonalds to the sword in the massacre of February 1692 as King William used his allies to put down the Jacobites. After this, the name Glen of the Weeping was coined.

Return to the river crossing, but instead of going right, the way you came, go up the other side of the gorge to find another path going down. This path runs parallel with the gorge deer-fence gate and the way back to the car park.

Map reference:

Ordnance Survey Landranger 50 map, reference 171569 for the start of the walk