Home
Coire Gabhail
Ah, Glen Coe, beautiful glen. Travelling from the south on the A82, you are welcomed by Buchaille Etive Mor - the Big Herdsman of Etive.
When you take a turn to the left, the range of mountains on both left and right is simply mindblowing.
The south side of the A82 houses the Three Sisters of Glen Coe. From east to west they are: Beinn Fhada, Gearr Aonach and Aonach Dubh.
Hidden between Beinn Fhada and Gearr Aonach is a true gem, the closest Scotland has to an Alpine-style cirque: Coire Gabhail. In English it is called The Lost Valley (or also the Hidden Valley), because a landslide damned the gorge.
Initially there was a loch in the corrie, but that water drained away, leaving a glen full of boulders, sided by impressive mountains.
The exact translation of Coire Gabhail is "Corrie of the Bounty", allegedly because the MacDonalds hid their (stolen) cattle there, although I can never help wondering how exactly they could have moved those animals in there. After all, cows aren't mountain goats.
If you want to explore the place yourself, park your car at any of the car parks a bit west of Allt-na-Reigh and follow the pretty much straightforward path. You can also go up a bit and climb over a section of boulders. When you enter the Valley, it is definitely a sight worth seeing. I can put dozens of pictures here, but none of them will do the real view justice.
Once you're there, you can just sit and enjoy the scenery, relishing the idea that you're surrounded by Beinn Fhada on your left and Gearr Aonach on your right. The back sports two Munros: Stob Coire Sgreamhach (left) and Bidean nam Bian (number 23 on the list of Munros).
You can venture to the bottom of the glen, where you'll be amazed just how gigantic those once trivial-looking boulders turn out to be. You can try to discern caves in the scree slope on your right. Or you could try to figure out just how those MacDonalds got their cattle in and out.
Really, go out and get inspired by the place.
Which is exactly what happened to me. The Lost Valley plays a key position in The Aviary.
Did you know Scotland is a source of inspiration?
Cirque: a steep-sided bowl-shaped hollow on a mountain side, originally formed by ice
Gorge: a deep narrow valley with steep sides, usually made by a stream which runs or has run through it
Corrie: a deep bowl-shaped area on a mountain
