Glencoe

Glen Orchy

The fourth area I visited in the Highlands was Glencoe.  After a week and a half in country I felt I was just getting started and being down to just a few days left I was wishing I had planned for three weeks instead of two.

Like each of the other areas, I had seen a few images that had really drawn my interest and I knew a few spots I wanted to visit.  Of course, images might be worth a thousand words, but being there is always better (and different).

The location that had really intrigued me was the famous Buchaille Etive Mor.  The mountain that sits at the top of Glen Etive where it meets Rannoch Moor and Glencoe.  The images there always looked wild and very interesting.  

There is a famous waterfall I have seen in several images and with a little looking at Google Earth, thought I had a rough idea of the spot.  I drove into the area, turned on the Glen Etive road off of the A82 and sure enough there is a little parking spot (by that I mean room for three cars) and 50 years away is the falls.  

I got there right for sunset.

It was nice.  Glencoe turned out to give me a couple of good sunrises and a sunset and ended up being the place with the best overall light on the trip.  It still rained a lot but I did get some nice light too.

I found there were a couple of camping options nearby.  The Ski Lodge at Glencoe Mountain has tent camping but it is just a patch of grass next to the showers.  Red Squirrel is down the valley but a proper campground in the trees by the river.  Being November,there were just like three other campers there.

After a good sunset at the waterfall, I did a rainy dawn at the Three Sisters.  From there I was off to explore the nearby Kilchurn Castle in the rain.  I had heard it was open but apparently not in winter as I found it locked.  It still made for a neat location to photograph in the rain.  On the drive back I explored Glen Orchy finding a very scenic waterfall with some of the slickest rock I have ever walked on.

I would do a few hikes in the glen and then tried a sunset down by the river right under the Three Sisters, again to just have clouds.

Finally on my last night in the Highlands, the rain turned to snow and I awoke to fresh powder on the peaks.  After a few early images of the Three Sisters, I made my way up to Buchaille Etive Mor for my last sunrise.  It was great!  Clouds, light, a little snow all added up to quite the send off.

I spent my last few hours chasing images.

Before I knew it, it was time to start the drive south.  I packed up, took one last look around and began the journey home.  On the drive, I began to already plan my return......