Glencoe
Glencoe is one of the most dramatic and historically significant glens in the Scottish Highlands, carved by ancient glaciers and dominated by towering peaks such as the famous Three Sisters. It is also known for the Massacre of Glencoe in 1692, when members of the MacDonald clan were killed by government troops after a delayed oath of allegiance, an event that has left a lasting sense of atmosphere and history across the valley.
The glen has been used extensively in film thanks to its raw, cinematic landscape. It appears in James Bond: Skyfall, where it represents Bond's ancestral Scottish home, and features in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, with sweeping Highland scenery used for travel shots around the Hogwarts journey. It also appeared in the original Highlander (1986), and Glencoe together with neighbouring Glen Nevis are confirmed filming locations for the 2026 Highlander reboot.
One of the most notable filming locations in the area is Hagrid's Hut from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The exterior set was built in Glencoe on the lower slopes of Sgorr nam Fiannaidh near Clachaig Gully, overlooking Torran Lochan, using the dramatic mountainside to create the isolated, rugged feel of Hagrid's home within Hogwarts grounds.
Today, visitors come to Glencoe for both scenery and history. The Glencoe Visitor Centre (National Trust for Scotland) explains the geology of the glen and the events of 1692, while walking routes such as the Lost Valley (Coire Gabhail) offer access to a hidden gorge once used by the MacDonald clan. The nearby A82 provides some of Scotland's most famous viewpoints, making Glencoe one of the most photographed and atmospheric landscapes in the country.
