History & Heritage

Millennia of stories set against Scotland's most dramatic landscape.

~420 million years ago

Volcanic Origins

Glen Coe is the remains of a massive supervolcano that collapsed into its own magma chamber, creating the dramatic cauldron subsidence we see today.

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~10,000 BC

Ice Age Sculpting

Glaciers carved the U-shaped valley, the hanging corries, and the dramatic ridges. The landscape we see is fundamentally a creation of ice.

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~1,000 AD

Clan MacDonald

The MacDonalds of Glencoe — a sept of Clan Donald — established themselves in the glen, living by cattle, farming, and the occasional raid.

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13 Feb 1692

The Massacre of Glencoe

Government soldiers turned on their MacDonald hosts, killing 38 and leaving many more to die in the winter mountains. Scotland's most infamous betrayal.

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1935

National Trust for Scotland

The NTS acquired Glen Coe, protecting the landscape for future generations. The glen remains one of their most important properties.

Today

Living Landscape

Glen Coe welcomes 2 million+ visitors annually while remaining a working landscape of farming, forestry, and community.