LIVE - Ballachulish - Glencoe - Glen Etive | Driving in Scotland

[@fafafini]

Absolutely loved this drive through, I did a virtual walk on my treadmill to it , brought back some lovely memories, thank you 🤗

[@drchunkybiscuit9973]

Fantastic!! 🥰

[@briancooper562]

Why the substantial road for so few residents in the Etive valley? There use to be a tourist round trip starting as the railways developed, Central Scotland towards Oban by train, swap to train for Ballachulish at Connel, horse and coach (later motor coach) up Glen Coe and down Glen Etive to Loch Etive, and back by boat to Connel for the train back to Central Scotland or on to Oban and the islands. There obviously was also the reverse route. The road carries on from your end point to where the dock stage remains are on the loch side, is the end of the road. I first holidayed in this areas in 1979 and the road you turned round into in Ballachulish use to be the main A82 at that time. Some of the railway structures can still be seen in this area. Glen Coe old road used to be used as a Hill climb course. Up past the climbers cottage and over the top, missing out the pipers gorge (a post war addition to reduce the gradient). Used by the likes of Mercedes Benz and Auto Union cars of the 1930's. The castle set for the first Highlander film was above the climbers cottage on the old road.

[@auldburdlaughin]

Wish I had a £1 for every time I've travelled these roads! I think my dad knew every trout in the river Etive by name - and they saw him coming, he rarely caught one. Sadly, don't go down Glen Etive much now, too many visitors in summer and I'm too old to do the run in winter. Funniest thing I ever saw (nasty, I know) was seeing the river in spate and a climber had pitched tent on a lovely bit of ground too low and too close to the now raging waters. I was following the Mail van and we just made it back out of the Glen. I often wonder how that climber felt seeing the inundated tent, clothes and even tins of food eddying round what was thought to be a great place to come back to. Some great memories there, thanks again Alex.

[@AlexExplorer]

I don't mind people camping there but they are leaving such a mess behind... 2021 was the worst year for Glen Etive

[@williamdouglas7823]

That was great, thank you

[@AlexExplorer]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@lindaj5492]

Seeing that big stack of logs at the side of the road well into Glen Etive - I guess from clear felling old spruce plantations - made me think it would be good to see something of the Caledonian forest that’s being replanted with native species. Any chance of you being able to do that sometime? 😊

[@AlexExplorer]

I know about the rewinding project in Cairngorms. They had plans to plant native trees but something went wrong and they are struggling to get more money. I'll think about it... my plan for 2025 is to do more documentaries like videos.

[@lindaj5492]

I’d appreciate a bit of info in the description: like the name of the steel bridge and loch alongside the road early in the video. Or maybe add some captions as you pass landmarks. 😊

[@AlexExplorer]

Hi Linda. I'm working on mobile live streaming eq and want to be able to comment live while driving :)

[@CheyenneHudson-l1r]

Cho breagha!