Glencoe village sits at the mouth of the glen, where the River Coe runs into Loch Leven, a small cluster of white houses, a church and a few shops below mountains that rise steeply on either side. Behind it the glen stretches east toward Rannoch Moor, one of the most famous and haunting landscapes in Scotland, with peaks like the Three Sisters and Buachaille Etive Mòr standing guard over the road.
The glen is remembered for the massacre of February 1692, when soldiers of the government, many of them from the Campbell clan, turned on the MacDonalds of Glencoe, who had given them shelter for nearly two weeks, and killed around thirty-eight people. Others died of exposure as they fled into the snow. It was a betrayal of the Highland code of hospitality, and the story has never been forgotten. A memorial stands in the village, and the folk museum, in a group of old thatched cottages, tells the history of the glen and its people.
The A82 through Glencoe is one of the great motorcycle roads of Scotland. From the village it climbs gently up the glen, then more steeply past the rock walls and waterfalls, onto the open expanse of Rannoch Moor, with long sweeping bends, wide views and a good surface. It is busy in summer, with tourists, buses and camper vans, and the weather can be wild, with rain, wind and mist even in July. The best time is early morning, when the light on the mountains is soft and the traffic is light. Watch for deer on the road and for drivers stopping suddenly at viewpoints.
Glencoe is also a centre for walking and climbing, and in winter for skiing at the Glencoe Mountain resort, at the edge of Rannoch Moor. The mountains are serious, and many people have died on them. The Glencoe visitor centre, run by the National Trust for Scotland, explains the geology, which includes the remains of an ancient supervolcano, and the history.
Glencoe village has a shop and some cafes, and nearby Ballachulish has more services. Fort William, about fifteen kilometres north, is the main town of the area, with fuel, supermarkets and accommodation.