Glencoe, Scotland

After our days in Edinburgh, we drove north into the highlands. We decided to stay in Glencoe, but I wanted to make a stop in the Loch Lomond region to hike. This region is known for its spectacular lochs (or lakes, as we say) and beautiful green rolling hills. We parked at a trailhead in the village of Balmaha and did a short hike to the top of Conic Hill.

P.S. This is the best website I found for hiking in Scotland. So many helpful guides, plus pictures of each trail to give you an idea of what to expect.

After our hike, we continued our drive to Glencoe. This was Andrew’s least favorite part of our journey, as he described the drive as “hurtling along a cliffside on the wrong side of the road.” That being said, Glencoe turned out to be his favorite location on the trip, so I think he’s glad we did the hurtling in the long run! He just made me promise we didn’t have to drive back that way.

In Glencoe, we stayed at the Clachaig Inn, which is a popular stop for backpackers and hikers. Scotland is famous for its hiking (they just call it “walking”) and many people walk the length of the whole country, stopping at small inns like this along the way. The quaint inn included two restaurants/bars, as well as rooms above. We were impressed with how cozy and clean the rooms were and enjoyed the hearty fare in the pub, like venison stew and chicken tikka curry. We spent each night relaxing in front of the roaring fire and sampling a few glasses of their house whiskey blends.

During the day, we hiked. The area is so gorgeous, we literally just had to walk out the front door of the inn and start walking to see amazing vistas in all directions. We ended up unknowingly hiking up a portion of The Three Sisters that day.