Buachaille Etive Mòr, viewed from Rannoch Moor (VisitScotland)
Looking for some Great British adventure inspiration? You're in the right place. Here you'll get an independent, ad-free lowdown on Britain's top 50 adventure locations - the online yin to the paper yang of our Joyously Busy Great British Adventure Map.
Why Go To Glen Coe?
It may have a road running through it but Glen Coe is big and wild enough for all manner of off-grid adventures. Just some of many things you can do in Glen Coe and the surrounding area that you can't do anywhere else...
Gawp in astonishment at Britain's most dramatic mountains and valleys
Hike up or simply marvel at a strong contender for Britain's finest mountain, Buachaille Etive Mòr
Go even wilder on desolate Rannoch Moor, swim in Glen Etive or scramble along Aonach Eagach
Want to find out more? Read on for great photos, articles, videos, top tips and other content to fire up your adventure appetite. Got a question? Ask away.
Tell Me More
This is Britain's most dramatic and iconic set of valleys, the sheer rise from ground level of famous peaks like Buachaille Etive Mòr (1022m), the "great herdsman" or simply the Buachaille, producing an epic sense of scale. Glen Etive, the Lost Valley, Aonach Eagach ("notched ridge"), The Three Sisters (part of Bidean nam Bian). Whether you're driving through on the A82, walking through on the West Highland Way, or looking down on the valleys from the peaks, it's not half majestic. Wild and empty Rannoch Moor provides a suitably contrasting backdrop to the views from on high.
The River Coe by Signal Rock and An Torr (VisitScotland)
The concept of an essential journey here is a bit moot - so much of the terrain demands exploring that there couldn't be just one. However, the West Highland Way is the obvious route, passing through Glen Coe with most walkers heading north and finishing in Fort William.
Getting To Glen Coe, Maps & Guides
Getting there: Arrive by car / bus from Fort William (0.5 hr) or Glasgow (2.5 hrs).
Travel times from where you are: See Glen Coe on Google Maps.
Maps: Find the right Ordnance Survey maps and / or get a month's free subscription to their excellent OS Maps app.
Guidebooks: Lonely Planet's Highlands and Islands, Rough Guides' equivalent.
Walking route guidance: WalkingHighlands / West Highland Way.
Tourist board: Visit Scotland.
Even More Glen Coe Adventure Inspiration
Read Outside Online's take on Aonach Eagach, the famous "notched ridge" and one of Britain's great scrambles. If that's not vertical or exciting enough how about ice climbing? Mountain podcast's episode on the Glen Coe Skyrace is well worth a listen too.
What Next?
Click here to see 49 other Great British adventure locations and tell us about your adventures, plans and suggestions for these pages.
Britain's Best Outdoorsy Bits... Mapped!
Liking what you see, but fancy keeping it old school with an actual paper map? Our Joyously Busy Great British Adventure Map features all of Britain's best outdoorsy bits (including the Top 50), plus some enjoyably random and vaguely useful stuff too. Available either as a 2-sided fold-out map or a framed wall map (office furniture and fake plants not included).
