Glencoe and the Lost Valley

The car thermometer was reading minus fourteen degrees centigrade when I stopped at the car park in Glencoe. The recent snowfall had not yet consolidated and there were few other walkers in sight so I opted for an easy walk. I decided to visit the Lost Valley which is reputed to be where the MacDonald’s hid the cattle they rustled and from their neighbours.

The walk follows the Allt Coire Gabhail which flows down between Beinn Fhada and Gearr Aonach after crossing the River Coe by a wooden bridge



Then the path rises quite steeply as it weaves through the silver birch trees



Splattered with frost and snow, the silver birch looked very spectacular in the early morning light.



As the path headed for the open hillside, I was conscious of the steep slopes into the Allt Coire Gabhail. Quite a few people over the years, have disappeared down the slippery slopes into the burn and not made it back.



However, with a little bit of care, its not difficult to get to the Lost Valley. The path crosses the burn further up. This photo was taken just below the entrance to the Lost Valley and is looking back into Glencoe.



Not much further, and I took this one from inside the Valley looking across to the sunlit mountains that form the Aonach Eagach



It was like been shut in a deep freeze, standing alone in the valley with was not a single sound to be heard. The high valley walls shielded the sound of the traffic passing through Glen Coe.



Its not too often in life when you can hear absolute silence and it’s a strange feeling. I felt I was a million miles from anywhere. Its one of my favourite walks in Glencoe.



Sadly, I found it too cold to savour the feeling of total isolation for long. I ran back to the car and got the heater going as soon as I could.