Glen Coe: majestic Scottish Valley

Glen Coe is a glen of glacial origins that cuts through volcanic rocks in the Highlands. It is named after the river Coe which runs through it. The glen is U-shaped and formed by an Ice Age glacier. The rocks of Glencoe are the remains of an ancient supervolcano. The volcano last erupted 420 million years ago. Glen Coe was also the site of a famous massacre (in 1692).

Skyfall (James Bond) Road

Etive Mòr  Road

Glen Coe was very crowded when we traveled through. We weren't able to stop at many places. The car parks were overflowing. According to our guide, Glencoe is always crowded, in every season. It is especially popular with climbers and walkers. Since 2017, it has been designated as a national nature reserve. We were able to stop at Glen Etive where the James Bond film Skyfall was filmed.

Etive Mòr Waterfall

Etive Mòr Waterfall

Me in front of waterfall

Our guide for the first half of the trip (Dave) was a mountain climber in his spare time. He explained how mountains are classified in Scotland. Mountains over 3000 feet are called Munros. There are 282 of them, 7 to 8 in Glen Coe. Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in Scotland at 4411 feet. Unlike US mountains, the mountains in Scotland are bare, treeless. It's a different look. 

Rugged scenery

Home of Scottish mountaineering

Volcanic rocks

Wide open spaces

Me at Glencoe

Up the valley

Two peaks

Sheep in the foreground

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Though not part of my Highland tour, one of the highlights of my 2026 trip to Scotland was the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, a magnificent musical and audiovisual performance in Edinburgh Castle. The theme of this year's Tattoo was "A Call to Gather." Richard Rankin, the actor who portrayed Roger MacKenzie in Outlander was the narrator. That was a special treat. I recognized his distinct voice immediately.

A Call to Gather

The voice behind the call

Scottish tradition: bagpipes

Light show

Royal Irish Regiment

Massed Pipe and Drums

Pipes and drums

The drums

Scottish dancers

Besides the British bands, the international acts included the United States Army Field Band, Germany Army Band Koblenz, New Zealand Army Band, and the Qatar Police Academy Band and Drill Team.

United States Army Field Band

Another performance by American band

Corrieshalloch Gorge Nature Reserve

Corrieshalloch Gorge was a stop on the Northcoast 500 route. It is one of the most spectacuarl gorges in Scotland, all of Britain. It was formed when glaciers melted thousands and millions of years ago, as huge volumes of water rushed through the landscape. The gorge is approximately 0.93 miles long, 200 feet deep, and 33 feet wide. 

Andrew explaining the gorge

Water gushing through the gorge

There was an 82 foot Victorian-style suspension bridge that spanned the gorge. It was designed by the same engineer who designed the Forth Bridge. We missed the sign that said only six people should be on the bridge at one time. Oops! It held us, albeit a bit wobby.

Sir John Fowler's Bridge, c. 1874

Me in front of the suspension bridge

After viewing the gorge, we walked through the nature reserve. It was a beautiful hike through the woods with an abundance of native trees and plants. There were several picturesque waterfalls along the way. We took the Woodland walk (yellow), 1 km.

Map of gorge and surrounding area

Path through the reserve

Common wildflower: common ragwort

Rock Falls signage

The Rocky Falls

Native birch trees

The Flats

Yesnaby Coastline

The Yesnaby coastline is a dramatic stretch of sheer Old Red Sandstone cliffs on the west coast of  Orkney. Besides spectacular coastal scenery, there were remnants of a WWII gun battery.

Map location

Lively water

Red sandstone

Closer

Dramatic seaside scenery

Tada!

Zoomed in

Bluer than blue water

During WWI and WWII  a large number of coastal defense stations were built along the cliffs of Orkney. Most were armed with anti-aircraft guns and with searchlight towers to pick out enemy aircraft. The cliffs at Yesnaby were one such site. is a dramatic stretch of sheer Old Red Sandstone cliffs on the west coast of Mainland Orkney.

Gun mounts

Structure left over from the war

The Brough of Birsay

The Brough of Birsay is an uninhabited tidal island off the north-west coast of the Mainland of Orkney. The island is accessible on foot at low tide via a largely natural causeway. It is separated from the mainland by a 790-foot stretch of water at high tide: the Sound of Birsay. The Norse settlement has been partly removed by coastal erosion.

Welcome to the Brough of Birsay

Picturesque cove

A bit of seaweed

Rocky shore

Red rocks

Border Collie

Me posing

The island

Lively water

The settlement

The lighthouse

In the sand

Coastal path