Legal: Outaboutscotland.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk. There are no facilities in Glen Etive (no shops, toilets etc) and mobile phone signal is patchy. Buachaille Etive Mor (aka the Buachaille or the Beuckle) is one of the most photographed mountains in Scotland, and looks just like a child’s drawing of a mountain with its perfect pyramid shape. Originally the road carried on around the edge of the loch to Taynuilt and there also used to be a steamer service taking passengers on to Oban in the 1840s. You’re very welcome, hope you get to try it out sometime soon! However, it’s worth remembering that these are wild animals and you’re invading on their turf, so it’s probably not a good idea to get too close. This definitely sparked my interest to travel to Scotland! You definitely do! You can check out the Dalness Estate website for further details if you’re interested. For a while the path is well constructed, about 0.5 m wide and easy to follow until the river has to be crossed. As long the snow is not too deep you should be fine….you’ll be driving slowly regardless taking it all in. xoxo Category: Landscape, Mountain, Nature. I think so, and I’ve got James Bond to back me up. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. As described in the Visit Scotland website: visitors coming to the area to seek out the famous James Bond's Skyfall and Braveheart film location, following the driving route along the River Etive. It passes the Dalness Estate – which was owned by Ian Fleming’s family – as well as a couple of small lochs surrounded by towering mountains, before coming to the tiny hamlet of Gualachulain. Follow my adventures on Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube or contact me here. Getting around: Uneven paths off the road, On-site conveniences: No conveniences nearby. It’s possibly the most scenic road in Scotland. On a clear day you will enjoy truly stunning views in all directions – inlcuding over desolate Rannoch Moor, empty Glen Etive and the inimitable Glen Coe itself. Homepage » Scotland's Regions » Highlands and Islands. Glencoe is one of the most famous and stunning glens in Scotland and an outdoor enthusiasts’ playground, with walking, scrambling and climbing in abundance. We both picked out Glencoe and Rannoch Moor as must This, at first, may appear a bit strange, doing a review of a road. Otherwise take a walk along the loch before retracing your steps, with the views looking completely different from another angle. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. I did this road in October 2020after reading your blog! Notify me of follow-up comments by email. This small (one square mile) island has a rich religious history dating back hundreds of years and the tradition of quiet seclusion continues to this day thanks to the Centre for World Peace and Health located on the western edge of the isle. The West Highland Way is Scotland’s thru-hiking trail that goes from just outside of Glasgow to Fort William through Glencoe. The road down Glen Etive is the original "road to nowhere". Still, I bet it’s an out-of-this-world experience that would be utterly unforgettable. The north coast 500 is another great road trip which is on my bucket list. The first part of the road follows the banks of the River Etive, which has its source on Rannoch Moor and is a favourite for whitewater kayakers – it can get wild when there’s been a lot of rain. Stunning scenery, hills, extremely camera friendly stags and water. Walking Buachaille Etive Beag – Map the Route One of the best hikes for newbies to Glen Coe. Copyright: All photos, videos, downloadable files and texts are the property of Craig Smith unless otherwise cited or under a CC0 licence and may not be used or reproduced elsewhere without permission. adventure ben starav destination glen etive … Visitors coming to the area to seek out the famous James Bond's Skyfall and Braveheart film location can follow the driving route along the River Etive. Not sure about the Glen Etive road, it snowed a few cm the morning we were there, but is had mostly melted. Buachaille Etive Mòr Circular Walk - Highland, Scotland | AllTrails Relax, read the papers and pop out for a quick breath of fresh air with an afternoon walk. The Glen Etive Road. Glen Etive via Lairig Gartain is a 3.3 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Ballachulish, Highland, Scotland that features a river and is rated as moderate. Get your Scottish Highlands tour tickets here. That pic of the reflection on the lake is a stunner! It was truly stunning and breath taking drive. This looks beautiful, it’s really about time I returned to Scotland. The landscape continues onwards unchanged for the remaining few miles to the tip of Loch Etive with the River Etive gently winding its way south-west and the occasional lochan (a small loch) breaking cover amongst the impenetrable gloom of Scottish pines. Check. Brodick Castle, former seat of power of the Dukes of Hamilton, is a grand 19th-century castle located a few miles north of the town of Brodick on the Isle of Arran. Looking for a hotel or AirBnb near Glen Etive? Glen Etive can be found in the Scottish Highlands. This article contains affiliate links, where I get a small commission at no extra cost to you, thanks. We will make the Etive drive Friday morning. Glen Etive feels like it is in a world of its own, and it is for this reason that hikers and visitors return to enjoy the beauty of Scotland in a unique and tranquil location. The turning is signposted off the main road close to the Kingshouse Hotel and Glencoe Mountain Resort – it’s on your right if you’re coming from Glencoe and on your left if you’re coming from the south. Antonine Roman Wall: Glen Etive - See 204 traveler reviews, 141 candid photos, and great deals for Falkirk, UK, at Tripadvisor. Thanks Suzanne, it was top of my Highland to-do list but still the views blew me away. Check the. Glen Etive can be found in the Scottish Highlands. So there you have it, mountains, lochs, rivers, forests and sports activities all in one small area of Scotland. You can, of course, hike the trail in sections too. This is a great spot to get out of the car and absorb the mist-covered moorland, but don’t be surprised to suddenly find you’re not alone. The road winds on through heather-covered moorland before running into a thick forest, where it gets narrower and more enclosed. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Glen Etive Road is going straight on my travel wish list! As you continue your journey keep your eyes on the road a few miles past the waterfall and you’ll see the place featured in the James Bond movie Skyfall where Bond and M make a quick stop on their way to Skyfall Lodge. There are no facilities though, so you’ll need to bring everything you need and take your rubbish away with you – the area’s had a problem with littering. It’s a great spot to clamber aboard a kayak and if you were uber-active you could make your way to the Sound of Mull and back as this inland loch is open to the sea at its far end. Please see below for walk options. See the T&C below for full details. Holy Isle is located close to the eastern shore of the Isle of Arran on Scotland’s west coast. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Although prominent at the east end of Glen Coe, this hill goes virtually unnoticed by most visitors as eyes are inevitably drawn to its majestic neighbours. One of the longest and most well known Glencoe walking routes is The West Highland Way. There are superb views from here of Ben Starav and Glas Bheinn Mhor . Find details and photos of Glen Etive cruise ship on Tripadvisor. Crystal-clear lochs? And if you want to stop, pull off the road and avoid blocking passing places. Glen Etive is a great place for wildlife watching and Loch Etive offers a superb kayaking experience. While the herdsmen are possibly the most impressive peaks you’ll get the opportunity to view several others as you make your way to the car park at the tip of Loch Etive, but in my opinion the countryside at the foot of the mountains is just as impressive as the monumental ridges that line the glen. It’s well worth a visit – so many beautiful and interesting places to see! More... Highland highlights: 13 things to do in Fort William and Glencoe, The Crown Wings | UK Travel & Lifestyle Blog, A royal weekend in Windsor, England: A 48-hour itinerary, A weekend in Falmouth, Cornwall: A 48-hour itinerary. Verdant forests? In this website I’ll show you the best places to visit and give you lots of tips for making the most of your visit. Mountains? Why go to such a wild beautiful place and trash it? We took maps and the trusty Satmap Active 10 but really just sidled down Glen Etive with no real route in mind. These cookies do not store any personal information. Check. I’m Craig, I live in Edinburgh and I love exploring Scotland’s attractions. The castle is surrounded by an exceptionally large and well-maintained garden and country park and is currently managed by the National Trust for Scotland. Glen Coe is the most famous and perhaps most impressively dramatic of all Scottish glens, … This meandering road was actually built to service the tiny hamlets of Dalness and Gualachulain and thankfully for us nature-loving tourists that means we get easy access into this remarkable off-grid region of Scotland. We are heading for the Highlands next week and will be in Glencoe on Thursday evening. If you could capture all of the magnificent points of Scottish scenery and condense them into a stretch of road that … Beinn Toaig is 834 metres high. Easy Walks One of the real joys of a trip to Glencoe is simply taking it easy. You’ll find Glen Etive by following the A82 between Glencoe and Bridge of Orchy in the north of Argyll, not far from the Glencoe Mountain Resort where a signpost points southwest onto a minor road that seemingly runs into the wilds of Scotland for absolutely no reason. In an iconic scene from the 2012 film Dame Judi Dench's M and Daniel Craig's 007 stand side by side looking out over the landscape of Glen Etive in … To reach Glen Etive, follow the A82 between Glencoe and Bridgy of Orchy. Simply amazing! Hope you have an amazing time – the Clachaig Inn is good for dinner or Lochleven Seafood too. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. By coincidence we are considering a rental some 9 miles down this road in mid January and can you advise on weather conditions when the weather is bleak, ie is it maintained? Glen Etive had everything my soul needed. This easy-going trail rewards visitors with stunning views at every section of its 65-mile length and there are plenty of opportunities to deviate onto nearby attractions along the way. I would love to do the NC500 sometime – the guy who set it up gave a talk to my uni course and it sounds amazing! But even so, a James Bond-style selfie is a bit of a must if you’re driving down this road. Thanks for any help. Better pack the. The road is narrow and winding with lots of up-down, twisty-turny sections so you’ll need to keep your wits about you as you follow it, but at least there are plenty of passing spaces where you can stop the car to gaze at the landscape. Those are the highlights for most people and they certainly sum up the Highlands for me, but visiting them all is only possible if you’re prepared to take lots of separate journies into Scotland’s wilderness. And a bit further along is the spot used in Skyfall, where Bond and M stop off in the Aston Martin on the way to Bond’s childhood home, Skyfall Lodge (just a film set in Surrey unfortunately). Thank you are all the tips! Loch? The Glen Etive road meanders for some 14 miles to the head of Loch Etive, where it ends in a turning circle near a pier. Glen Etive is a glen situated in the Highlands. Absolutely stunning. Glen Etive walks and Highlands hikes - there are several in the vicinity of the glen such as Beinn Trilleachan Glen Etive Road entrance turn at Buachaille Etive Mor You cannot miss the beginning of Glen Etive. In addition to the nearby Glencoe Mountain Resort with its wild assortment of skiing and snowboarding runs, the River Etive is a favourite with whitewater kayakers thanks to the torrents that flood down it off Rannoch Moor after a good rainfall. Buachaille Etive Mor, Glen Etive, Highlands One of the most-photographed mountains in Scotland, the mighty Buachaille Etive Mor is a year-round magnet for hikers and mountaineers. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. The views and journey down the Glen to the {totally inadequate} visitors car park were stunning and we both wished that we could have stayed to enjoy the views and take in a decent walk. The road in question runs through Glen Etive, and to my mind it’s one of the most beautiful places in Scotland. Stunning scenery, hills, extremely camera friendly stags and water. Thank you! This is so beautiful! It certainly does – and seeing them in the sunshine is always a bonus! The first highlights are the ‘Herdsmen of Etive’ – two enormous mountains that totally dominate the landscape and which are among the most-photographed mountains in Scotland. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Heritage Information This path appears entirely in the Ordnance Survey 6 inch to the mile map from the mid 19th century and thee are a lot of settlements and houses depicted along the way. The forests of Arran offer some of the best mountain biking routes of any of the west-coast islands and any cycle ride is almost guaranteed to include sightings of Arran’s famed red squirrels. Buachaille Etive Mor One of the most famous of Scotland’s mountains and a classic viewpoint for Rannoch Moor and Glen Etive. We stayed at the Clachaig Inn and ate in the “”Boots” Pub. looks like an incredible place- thanks for sharing the drive and the details! 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