Glencoe, Highland
56°40′45″N 05°06′23″W / 56.67917°N 5.10639°W
- This article refers to the village: for the glen itself, see Glen Coe.
Glencoe Village (Gaelic: Gleanna Comhann) is the main settlement in Glen Coe, Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. It lies at the north-west end of the glen, on the southern bank of the River Coe as it enters Loch Leven (a salt-water arm of Loch Linnhe).
The term 'Glencoe Village' is a recent one (appearing on a few road signs only in the last 20 years), however the setting in Glencoe valley is quite historic as it is near the site of the massacre of MacDonalds by the Campbells in the 1690s, acting on the orders of King William III. The village occupies an area of the glen known as Carnoch. Even today there is Upper Carnoch and Lower Carnoch. A small hospital, with no emergency services (Fort William is the nearest) lies at the far end of the village just over an arched stone bridge. Within Glencoe Village there is a small village shop (now a Nisa), local church, history museum, Post Office, Glen Coe mountain rescue center, numerous quality bed and breakfast establishments, and a small primary school. Several eating establishments are around including the Carnoch Restaurant situated in Glencoe village, and Clachaig Inn situated at the mouth of the glen. Glencoe is also a popular location for self catering holidays; with many chalets, cottages and lodges available for weekly and short break rental. Also located in the village, but along the A82, is the Glencoe Visitor Center, run by the National Trust for Scotland. This modern (constructed in 2002) visitor center houses a coffee shop, store, and information center.
The village is in the county of Argyll, although this part of Argyll now lies in Highland Region.
Sitting on one of the sites where the Massacre of Glencoe took place, the village is surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery and is popular with serious hill-walkers and rock-climbers. It has been seen in numerous films, including Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as the home of Hagrid.
The fictional biography of James Bond, which Ian Fleming included in You Only Live Twice, notes that "he was born of a Scottish father, Andrew Bond of Glencoe".