Explore the Scottish Highlands
TRAVEL
Scottish Highlands
Is there anything more romantic than galavanting around the lush rolling hills of Scotland? We’re sharing the hidden gems of Glencoe.
When it came to wedding planning, we wanted to do something a little different. We knew we wanted a destination wedding, but we thought it might be fun to up the ante, if you will. As a lover of all things romance novels, does it surprise you to learn Victoria insisted on getting married in Scotland (home of Gretna Green and the long history of elopements) and having a photoshoot among the rolling hills of Glencoe?
About Glencoe
Glencoe is a valley pass known as the gateway to the Scottish Highlands and serves as the most incredible entry to northern Scotland. As we drove through the area, it was very clear that there weren’t any large settlements in the vast mountainous area. Following the A82 brought us right through the Glen, a beautiful drive even if you are able only to pass through. But we do strongly encourage you to pull into one of the many parking areas on the route and take a second to breathe in the fresh air and enjoy your surroundings.
Planning Our Adventure
We planned our adventure right on the cusp of high-season at the end of May. And we lucked out! Based on our research, there were several reasons for this:
THE WEATHER: We found that there are two weeks in May and two weeks in September where the weather hits a sweet spot and the chance of rain dips drastically. Well, friends. When we say we spent almost three weeks in Scotland and experienced minimal rain, we mean it!
THE SUNLIGHT: Towards the end of May and early days of June, the sun sets closer to 9am. We were blessed with foggy mornings, clear days of long sunlight, and cool nights that lent themselves to blanket-wrapped shoulders around the firepit. We packed light coats for our Glencoe adventure, but encourage you to bring a couple of layers as the air cooled quickly with the sunset.
THE COLOR: Our vision required green hills. From our photos, you can glean that we had coordinated our outfits to pop against a green backdrop — and what better setting than Glencoe!
When to Go
Morning or evening, if you plan your day around sunrise or sunset, you’ll experience dramatic changes in light. We timed our photoshoot to be towards sunset as we were making the drive out from Edinburgh. But over our three weeks in Scotland, we drove through Glencoe three more times — once in the morning and twice around mid-day.
SPRING (March to May) historically experiences the most unpredictable weather. But that means you’ll see a beautiful range of colors among the rolling hills, experience dramatic foggy mornings that turn into clear days and breathe in the sweet floral notes of early blooms.
SUMMER (June to August) finds Glencoe a vibrant green, which welcomes pink and purple blooms later in the season. The long days and short nights (think sunset after 9pm) offers more flexibility in planning your adventure. However, we were warned that this is the busiest season AND this is peak season for midges, so you may need to plan accordingly!
AUTUMN (September to November) brings rich reds and orange hues. Days are shorter and unpredictable weather returns, but we can only imagine how that could result in the most romantic adventures around the Glen. With the changes in weather, we’re hopeful you’ll find fewer people around.
WINTER (December to February) sprinkles frost and snow across the valley of Glencoe, blanketing the mountain tops in a white wonderland. If this calls to you, we’re sure a hot cup of cocoa and a fire can warm you right up!
Where to Explore
Our exploration was a bit biased — guided primarily by the views we wanted included in our photos. But as we mentioned, there’s no way you can go wrong if you simply drive through the Glen and let your eyes guide your way. But if you’re curious, this is where we spent most of our time.
THE VALLEY VIEW BY LAGANGARBH HUT: The iconic ‘wee white cottage’ sits along a serene pebble river. While this was a bit boggy while we were there, the hills and rocky path offered a stunning, yet versatile backdrop.
THE STUDY: A short 10-minute hike from a single-car parking spot, we snuck up here at sunset. Set high-above the valleys, we stood alone with the Three Sisters mountains and swayed to the music of the winds.
Looking for a photographer to take you on an adventure shoot? We recommend the great Raini Rowell!
Until our next chapter!
xo, James & Victoria
P.S. Craving more travel inspiration? Tap the links below.
