We woke up to a nice sunny view across the sea loch at Invercoe.

It was nice to use the facilities and we got going eventually to the Glencoe visitors centre. It was still quiet when we got there – lots of parking.

The displays on geology, flora and fauna and history were very interesting. Here is how to recognize the different birds by wing shape – and compares their size.

Glencoe was formed by volcanic forces – the rock formations on the side of the large mountains are the remains of lava flows. The lumps and bumps on the glen floor are the moraine from a glacier.

There were 2 short films. The first was on how people lived in Glencoe and the construction of an original turf house in 2019 over a year using traditional methods and the materials naturally available.

The second was about the notorious massacre of Glencoe where 38 men, women and children were killed. In 1692 clans were required to sign their allegiance to the new Protestant king and queen. The clan chief was delayed in doing that. Earl Glenlyon aligned with the government decided to make an example of the Macdonald clan and ordered troops of his Argyll regiment to kill them all. Only the commander of the regiment knew the orders when they went to Glencoe. The troops stayed with the villagers for 12 days and were fed and looked after by them. They were then told that next day they were to kill them all. A lot didn’t want to do it and warned the Macdonalds. Next day many were killed. The ones who had escaped mostly died in the freezing February cold in the exposed glen.

We then went to see the turf house from the film – an amazing construction.

We then headed of to look at the site of Hagrids hut from the Harry Potter movies. We parked at the Cluachan Inn and then climbed up a very eroded and boggy track to get there. It’s a magnificent position looking down the glen.

Heading up the glen it was hard to find any parking – everywhere was chock-a-block.

We parked in a layby next to a stream where we said Sean should go for a wild swim.

The views were quite amazing.

We then got up to the Kinghouse hotel where stags are often seen – but unfortunately there weren’t any.

We then drove down the glen and stopped off at the Glencoe massacre memorial in the village / erected by a direct descendant of the Macdonalds in 1883. There were good views up the glen where it all happened. But we noted that the campsite for the previous night was one of the possible locations – as was near the visitors centre where the foundations of turf houses were found.

There was a very original cottage nearby.

Glenn and I walked to a local Nisa shop we had seen but found it was permanently closed. 2 boys around 10 years old on their bikes went by shouting to us – ‘It’s closed – the owner passed away. It was as expensive as hell anyway!’. We had a good laugh at that.

We then left Glencoe driving south towards Oban. We stopped for a very late van lunch at 3.30pm with views of the sea loch.

Unfortunately it was very late in the afternoon once we arrived in Oban – too late to catch up with my in-laws the Hoey family. Apologies to all!

Our first stop in Oban was Lidl to replenish supplies. We then went for a walk up to Mccaigs Tower – a folly overlooking Oban. It was a good walk up to get there great views over the harbour with all the ferries coming and going.

We then walked down through the town with some very impressive buildings.

We then headed north out of town to Fearnoch Forest where motorhomes can stay overnight for the very reasonable cost of 10 pounds.

We went for a walk in the forest leaving Sean to cook dinner. The girls headed back when the midgies got a bit bitey and left Glenn to look for birds. It was 9pm by the time we ate dinner of a nice chilli con carne with pasta and a nightcap of Bailey’s – and it was already 11pm. We had a very quiet nights sleep in the forest.