If you’re a James Bond fan, then you probably already know that Glen Etive and nearby Glencoe are both part of ‘ Skyfall Country’. Those couple of shots, where Daniel Craig escapes to his childhood home with M, were majestically shot in the area and demonstrate just how stunning it is. Scotland scenery at it’s finest. On this winter trip, my friend Jack and I were basing ourselves at the nearby Red Squirrel Campsite. This review hopefully shows what a great place it was. On our first full day, Jack suggested we complete a circular hike in Glen Etive. What a day it was! The views and terrain we covered that day will live long in the memory bank that’s for sure. Hopefully this article will persuade you to give it a try too.
The Circular Hike In Glen Etive- Route Details
Route Length- 13.87 km
Estimated Duration: 4.5 hours
Total Ascent: 561 metres
Rivers To Ford- 2
Number of choice words likely to be used: several when fording the burn, especially in colder months.
As mentioned above, the route mostly follows two deep glens and so some protection from the elements can be provided if the wind is blowing in the right direction. Despite this though, two mountain passes are still negotiated. Conditions up at these spots can be quite different to lower down. This is one of those hikes, where it pays to be prepared on the clothing front. Typical Scotland then!
The Start Of The Circular Hike In Glen Etive
This hike is stunning right from the off. It is highly likely you’ll have company in the car park, just because there is such an impressive viewing spot. The view west towards the dramatic mountains forces you to just stand in silence and admire the majesty of the landscape.
The first leg of the hike sticks close to the River Coupall and follows a clear path the entire way. Navigation is simple. The many rapids and cascades made for great company along the way. You can’t beat the sound of tumbling water when immersed in a landscape as beautiful as this. Ascent is gradual along the entire path, allowing to reach the top of the pass at 489 metres without hardly noticing it.
Despite this, we still found conditions underfoot did change quite considerably as we got higher up. The path never felt dangerous, but there were certainly larger patches of snow and ice near the pile of stones marking the high point. Rain that had been falling lower down at the start was also now falling as snow. It is so true how a little extra elevation can alter the weather quite considerably. We were both carrying spikes for our shoes and never needed them. On a more wintry day though, they could certainly come in handy on this section and further along too. Click here to read more about the spikes I’ve tried and tested in proper winter conditions. They’ve certainly proved invaluable when things get slippery.
A View To Blow You Away
When you finally reach the pile of stones at 489 metres, the view ahead will likely stop you in your tracks. I’ve been lucky enough to visit much of Highland Scotland and what I witnessed here was as stunning as anywhere else I’ve been. My reaction was probably similar to Little Foot and his cronies when they spot The Great Valley for the first time. Yes sorry I couldn’t a brief back to my nineties childhood, when I first watched The Land Before Time. I think the short video clip below sums things up pretty well.
What got me was how varied the view was. If ever there was a wish list for the perfect vista, then there aren’t many things missing here. Craggy mountains? Check. Dramatic glen? Check. Mountain river? Check. Freshwater loch? Check. Sea loch? Check. I’m sure I could probably continue the list even more. As amazing as the video clip is, I can only say how it doesn’t do it justice. You have to be there in person to fully appreciate just how beautiful it is.
The Return Leg Of The Circular Hike In Glen Etive
Eventually, you reach a fork in the path and this is where the return leg begins. You once again follow yet another burn gently uphill through a beautiful glen. Waterfalls can be enjoyed along the way and there are many secluded spots for a dip in warmer weather. You might even be one of those mad folk who enjoy icy dips during the depths of winter. You’ll certainly be satisfied here if this sounds like you. More about just how cold the water was a little later!
As Jack and I neared the top of the second pass of the day, so we were treated to a real Highland experience. A whole herd of deer were spotted a few hundred metres ahead of us on the mountainside. We slowed our pace, turned off our voices and made our way closer to them. We both fully expected the deer to turn and run just as they had for me many times when hiking the rugged coast of Jura. This didn’t happen though. They did start to edge away from us, but soon stopped and went about grazing once again without a care in the world. What an experience!
Soon enough we reached the second high point of the day and just admired the majesty of the mountains around us once more. They were caked in snow, offering testing winter conditions if anybody sought them. We just stood for a few moments discussing what a splendid spot it would make for a wild camp. Not this time though what with the campsite offering us relative luxury. Onwards we went.
Time To Face The Cold
Well I did say that I’d come back those mountain burns and so here we are. The nature of the terrain means you are required to ford the burn twice. Each one had us making all sorts of funny noises and longing for the pain to be over.
I’ve crossed and even swum in some pretty cold water in my time, but the water flowing down this burn took the top spot. Clearly, much of it was melt water from the mountains and so was literally around freezing. Each time Jack and I crossed, we’d take several minutes to get our socks on. Our feet hadn’t gone dumb bust instead hurt from the cold. How anybody immerses their whole body in water like this I have no idea. Please feel free to leave any words of wisdom below if you can help in this area.
The rest of the walk back felt straight forward and we even spotted our first hikers of the day making their way down from the summit of Buachaille Etive Mor. The easiest route up can be taken from this side and is well worth the effort. We had run out of daylight for the day, but you can read more about this possible extension or separate hike here.