Glencoe - points of interest

<p>Hi everyone,<br>

I have a last minute trip coming up where I'll be spending a week in Glencoe. I'm now trying to find the main points of interest in the area that I should be visiting. Specifically I'm interested in picturesque lochs, mountains and historic buildings. I'm also hoping to capture some lovely autumn scenes.<br>

I've passed through Glencoe before but it was a flying visit. Now I have time to dedicate to the area I'm after some local knowledge on the best places to visit and photograph, within say 25 miles of Glencoe village. Also any of the lesser known spots. I'm looking to maximise my shooting time so places that take half a day to hike too won't be suitable for this trip :)<br>

Any help and guidance offered would be most appreciated!<br>

Thanks,<br>

Dave</p>

<p>Not sure this is quite what you are looking for but there is a little white house which (as I remember it) can be seen across the River Coupall from the parking area at Altnafeadh. This makes a nice small focus of interest against the dark bulk of the mountain behind it especially useful in rainy, misty weather. Have a good trip!</p>

<p>Would that be Blackrock Cottage Colin? If so that one's already on my list :)</p>

<p>I think it might be:-)</p>

<p>Colin - this is Blackrock Cottage- on a poor 15yo scan from a Velvia original. Is that the place you meant? Otherwise there are several cottages it might be. <br>

OP. The 15 miles before you get to Glencoe (the area not the village) contains Rannoch Moor which contains at least as much photo potential as Glencoe itself and mostly from near the roadside. <br>

Once in the Glen look for the road down Glen Etive and follow it as far as you can. Quite near the beginning of the road you'll cross a small bridge underneath which the river flows and there are a couple or so parking places. Opposite there's a 5 min path across the boggy moorland to the river that runs in front of Buchaille Etive Mor. Couple of nice shots of the small waterfalls along there if the light's right. I've seen decent photographs from the bridge itself too. <br>

Be careful walking there- its easy to get lost or get caught in sudden blizzards. </p><div></div>

<p>well, there are other Glencoes, you know<br>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glencoe,_Illinois <br>

http://www.glencoemn.org/ <br>

:|</p>

@David. - thanks, that's most helpful.

 

@JDM - indeed there are... but I'm referring to the one outside US borders (such places do exist ;) )

<p>Yes, but I was referring to the fact that you are posting without any ID on an international site. It's not I who is being parochial, you know. ;)<br /> What about all those Glencoes in Tibet and Central Asia [藏區], for example?</p>

<p>In any case, I wish I were there, at the British one, that is.</p>

Yes, quite right... although I'd assumed the use of the word 'lochs' and posting this in the Europe-UK forum narrowed it

down a bit. Mea culpa.

<p>Many of us come in from the "unified" page and it takes a special effort to actually read the information in the little print at the top of the page. I was, of course, just being what is called a "smarty pants*" over here.</p>

<p>Did you know I went to school in Cambridge?</p>

<p>_______</p>

*Actually even more commonly "schmarty pantz"

<p>I passed through a fairly nondescript place called Cambridge in mid-state New York just two weeks ago. And an even smaller village of Cambridge in NW Vermont a week before. Can't imagine why an education in either one would be a cause for celebration here.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Can't imagine why an education in either one would be a cause for celebration here.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Exactly how I feel about it! :)</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I passed through a fairly nondescript place called Cambridge in mid-state New York just two weeks ago. And an even smaller village of Cambridge in NW Vermont a week before. Can't imagine why an education in either one would be a cause for celebration here.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I'll be in Cambridge, Idaho in a couple of weeks. You have any friends left in town, JDM?<br /> When I was 4, I threw a brick through a window in Cambridge, England! Sometime in 1954. I think I was mad at my brother-or it was some kind of rite of passage; he being the older one, and me being young and naive.</p>

<p>David, yes, I think that is the cottage I am talking about : Blackrock Cottage, in Glencoe, Scotland.<br /> <br /> JDM, in the UK we always assume that the British town or place is obviously the most important example of any particular name and needs no further idnetification. Any others should, for clarity, distinguish themselves from the original UK place : London, Ontario ; Reading, Pennsylvania ; Perth, W Australia etc. It is just one of those things which we hold to be self-evident :-)</p>

<blockquote>

<p>in the UK we always assume that the British town or place is obviously the most important example of any particular name</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes, you-all do assume that, and that was my point. :)</p>

<blockquote>

<p>in response to query about how to find something:<br>

Go to Smith's and turn left,....<br>

What's "Smith's"?<br>

Why everybody knows what Smith's is.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>JDM. I don't really agree. In the UK we don't feel the need to qualify every location in full, thats all. So if someone talks about "London" we're content to assume they mean our capital and not one of the several alternatives. But it works the other way round too. If someone here talks about New York, I'm sure the vast majority of those in the UK will leap to the conclusion that the subject is NYC, not the little ex-coal-mining village up the NE England. Similarly with Washington, unless the conversation happens to be in NE England where it could be Washington, Durham and the conversation would generally be sufficient to identify the location well enough. Same with Melbourne - we'd assume Australia unless this was accompanied by some locational or contextural link to lead you to conclude that the town was in Derbyshire, England. </p>

<p>So we assume the most significant alternative in the absence of any clue to the contrary and use that to avoid the need to qualify every geographical location. And it works- I don't think I can recall a conversation that came to a grinding halt till someone said "thought you meant Lewes Delaware" Its normally pretty obvious. So we have no need to say "Paris, France" because thats by far the most important location with that name and its by far the likliest subject of any mentions unless you're talking about Texas or movies. </p>

<p>And, to bring it to full circle, in a Photography forum context it's likely to be pretty obvious to those who can help the OP that this Glencoe is in Scotland!!</p>

<p>Yes, and if I had seen a title like "Glencoe, UK - points of interest" I would never have opened this thread and would never have bothered you with comments about it.<br>

The point is that people are seeing this all over the world. If you were posting on some regional site in Great Britain, sure. But you weren't.<br>

Think how much time you would have saved everybody with just two little letters.</p>

<p>No one ever suggested that it's always necessary to specify locations everywhere and every time; but in the context of the Unified page, it's hard to tell, and a little more specificity in all titles would be welcome, not just for Glencoe-whereever-it-is.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>What about all those Glencoes in Tibet and Central Asia [藏區]. . . ?</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>That's<strong> <em>exactly</em> t</strong>he thought that entered my mind, JDM.</p>

<p>--Lannie</p>

<blockquote>

<p> </p>

</blockquote>

Yes, and thanks for hijacking this thread with your confusion over the different Glencoes JDM, but as mentioned I believe

it was pretty obvious by the forum title to which this post was added (that's why forums have different titlles after all!), not

to mention my reference to 'lochs'. If you choose to ignore such obvious flags I'm afraid that's your own shortcoming. I

hope I'm being clear enough for you now when I ask that you please desist and move on if you have nothing of value to

add to this discussion, other than to moan about your confusion and trying to apportion the blame on others.

 

Just think how much time you would have saved everyone if you'd bothered to read the signposts before wading in.

...and thanks for confirming what I was already beginning to suspect Lannie :)

Can't say i've heard of any other Glen Coe's personally. I've visited that area about 3 or 4 times this year, its only a few hours drive for

me, it would be easy to list loads of places worth photographing in and around the glen itself. i'll list just a few if you have a good eye

you'll see the good stuff easily enough as you drive around.

 

Obvious starting point would be the southern end of the Glen, with various lochans on Rannoch Moor giving nice reflections usually

showing the Black Mount in the background. There are quite a few viewpoints for Buachaille Etive Mor which is the most recognisable

mountain in the area, Black Rock Cottage is one of those views, the waterfalls in Glen Etive that David mentioned are another. Glen Etive

has loads of interesting possibilities if you look carefully around you, check out the waterfalls and Dalness Lodge alias Skyfall in James

Bond. Loch Achtrochtan at other end of Glen is usually good for reflections. Various possibilities for views of the Pass of Glen Coe in

middle of glen and from old road which is now a footpath above current road.

 

Kilchurn Castle on Loch Awe is pretty close, well worth a look going through Glen Orchy, Castle Stalker is also a good option, check your

maps, both close driving distance, you can drive along Loch Awe towards Oban and up coast to Castle Stalker and then round coast

back to Glen Coe again.

 

I could write pages on this area, I know it so well but this should get you started anyway!

Many thanks Allan. That's all good info and very helpful. Castle Stalker and Kilchurn Castle I visited last year, although I

may take another look if time permits. I wasn't aware that Dalness Lodge was also in the same area. Is it accessible to

photograph (the exterior) or well sheltered on private land?

 

Some of the other locations you've mentioned I'll check out on GMaps tomorrow. Thanks again!

<p>You're entirely welcome.</p>

<p>I could not have done it without your help, though.</p>

<p>JDM,</p>

<p>I look forward to you applying equal measure of pedantism to any posts involving "Yellowstone", "Acadia", "Big Sur" or any other place in the world etc etc.<br>

For those of us without that level of rigor we can just opt for circumspection, and reserve comment for those posts we actually have some useful knowledge to contribute to.</p>

<p>Dave,</p>

<p>Amazing place. Enjoy.</p>