Glencoe is Scottish hospitality at its very best
Staying at the Glencoe Inn, situated in one of the most iconic locations in the highlands, was an opportunity to show off some of Scotland's best cuisine
Pilgrims come from all over the world to see the iconic Glencoe in the flesh. The area is synonymous with all the things that make the Scottish highlands special - beautifully rugged landscapes, towering mountain peaks, stunning lochs (both fresh water and sea), impressive stag deer and other wildlife, and even the wild weather.
It is world-renowned for its outrageously beautiful scenery - some of the best, in fact, anywhere in Europe. From the tranquil fjord of Loch Leven at sea level, all the way up to the gnarly heights of Buachaille Etive Mòr, the place takes your breath away from every angle. It truly is the picture postcard of the best of Scotland.
The village itself is quaint and inviting. The valley - or ‘glen’ in Scots - is less so and, indeed, can be downright treacherous when a winter storm blows through. Some people come for that very reason: the landscape plus wild weather provides thrill-seeking adventurers with a challenge, and they frequently come to harm.
The locals are famous for their hospitality - a trait that it even got a bunch of them killed. One cold morning in the year 1692, dozens of members of the Macdonald of Glencoe clan were murdered as they slept. Shockingly, they were set upon by their own houseguests. As is customary, they’d extended hospitality to members of the Campbell clan, who were passing through the area and had sought refuge during a period of blizzards.
Little did the Macdonalds know, however, that their guests were, in fact, untrustworthy government stooges who, at 5am one morning, carried out a premeditated plan to hack their way through the local population with broad swords and axes, showing no mercy even to women and children.
The Glencoe Massacre is an event that lives on in Scottish folklore, eternalised today by way of a visitor centre, and it even made its way into popular culture: it was the inspiration for the bloody Red Wedding scenes in Game of Thrones, among many more similar anecdotes.
Room at the Inn?
The locals should have had little to fear with my arrival as a guest in their town, however. The only thing I wanted to murder was some of the local seafood and meat.
Joining my wife (Teka) and I were our two equally carnivorous - and equally hungry - friends, Juliana and Breno, who are from Brazil (via Portugal). Brazilians know their food, so I was anxious to show them that - contrary to popular belief on the continent - we have good food in Scotland. In fact, we make some of the best produce anywhere in the world. It is a sad reality, however, that it can be a challenge to find someone who knows how to cook it properly.
Travelling through Glencoe during some truly awful weather, as is typical of the place in Autumn, the ‘valley of tears’ was true to its moniker. Literally hundreds of waterfalls were pouring into the glen from every angle.
I wanted to show our guests a Scottish stag deer before settling in for the night, and we found an impressive one by the side of the road. It looked nervous, perhaps in hearing our rumbling bellies as we stopped for a photograph. And perhaps it should have been, as I sincerely hoped venison would be on the menu later that evening.
We were staying at the Glencoe Inn, a 5-star hotel by the Crerar Group that has recently undergone a total renovation. It occupies a site right next to the A82 road, where the Glencoe village’s old ceilidh hall used to be. Indeed, the hall is now part of the hotel and is known as the Gathering Bar & Grill. This is one of the Inn’s several food options: it also has the Steak & Lobster Bistro, as well as a pizza offering.
Teka and I were staying in the Loch View Feature room, which included a bay window bathtub. I’ll get on to that part of my review later.
We opted not to eat at the Gathering, but rather to stay within the main building and eat at the Glencoe Inn’s Steak and Lobster Bistro. This, I hoped, would provide the best opportunity to show our guests what good Scottish food can taste like.
Let me make an admission. I haven’t stayed in, or dined at, many 5-star places in my life. I am a simple guy and tend to stick to what I know when travelling or at home. Give me some dirty street-food noodles on a street corner at 1am, and I’m generally happy. Nonetheless, I wanted Scotland to leave a lasting impression, and surely this was the perfect opportunity.
Despite the howling wind and pouring rain outside, the hotel’s bistro was kept cosy by a log-burning fire. Our waiters came to chat and offered us some red and white wines. Given the atrocious weather, and the fact we were right in the middle of off-season, we were the only ones there, so we occupied the prime spot next to the fire.
The menu included everything you’d want from a steak and lobster bistro, with a distinct Scottish theme running throughout. Indeed, venison was on the menu, both as a starter or a main. I opted for the venison carpaccio for starters, accompanied by a 1996 château haut-batailley red.
The venison was succulent, with a powerful flavour. The others all had the same and agreed. It was a good introduction to the taste of Scotland.
We also aligned our choice of mains. When in Rome, after all: Scottish fillet steak with lobster; whisky sauce; cooked medium-rare. It was a classic surf and turf that should be the signature dish in places like this.
Before the mains arrived, though, I asked for a large pot of Loch Leven mussels, cooked in a thick cream and bacon sauce. A huge pot enough for four to share arrived, filling the room with a rich aroma. Spoiler alert - this turned out to be everyone’s favourite dish of the night. Breno, who isn’t even a huge shellfish fan, was throwing them down and was loving life.
This, I proclaimed with pride to anyone who would listen, is what Scottish food is all about.
“Wait until you try our beef,” I added.
I soon realised the foolishness of this statement. As mentioned, my wife Teka and our two guests are Brazilian. I have been to their home country many times. There are few ways to say this - their beef is absolutely sensational. They know beef, they love beef, and they eat a lot of it.
Meanwhile, I hadn’t even tried the Glencoe Inn’s beef yet, and had already declared it a winner.
Mercifully, the chef had used really high quality fillet cuts and cooked them to perfection. The whisky sauce was homemade, and something that our guests had never seen before. Brazilians tend to eat beef steaks with nothing but rock salt, so they were curious as to what our Scottish steak ‘sauce’ was like.
To my relief, I saw thumbs up, smiles and heard “mmm muito bom”. The steak was great, the sauce was great, and the lobster - fresh from the nearby Atlantic ocean - was also great.
We were all absolutely stuffed and retreated to the bar for a few drams before bed. I enjoyed the food immensely, but I was anxious to hear the others’ review. Brazilians are honest, especially about food. As I say, they know good food from bad and are not afraid to share when it doesn’t meet their standards.
So what did they think? Juliana and Breno smiled with glee, saying they enjoyed the meal very much. Teka agreed. As previously alluded to, the mussels was the hit dish. The rich, aromatic cream sauce was like a soup, and we lapped it up with bread. On a cold night, it was truly a masterstroke, and I appreciate the chef for accommodating us with an extra large sharing pot.
A good night’s sleep
As morning came and breakfast called, I wanted to make use of the bathtub - for no reason other than creating a video clip and an image for instagram. What good is such a thing, after all, if not shared on social media?
If I’m being honest, having a bath in the middle of a bedroom has always seemed inconvenient to me. I don’t know about you, but I’m a messy bather. Try as I may, everything always ends up wet - the floor, the wall and, inexplicably, sometimes even the ceiling.
The room was spacious, and for me, the best touch was the large and extremely comfy bed, with soft, clean linen and warm tartan blankets. The minimal design was warm, inviting, and in keeping with the surrounding beauty of the Scottish highlands. We slept very well indeed.
Bathtub photos taken, we headed down to breakfast, which presented another opportunity to impress our guests with good Scottish food. Brazilians may know beef, but we know our breakfasts.
The Glencoe Inn had a wide range of options, and I suggested full Scottish breakfasts all round. The waiter also recommended a special addition of venison, which I’d never had at breakfast before. Juliana and Breno also had Oysters, which they proclaimed exquisite.
For the breakfast, you could tell that only the best quality ingredients were used, including the bacon, sausages, mushrooms and tomatoes. If one thing was missing, it was baked beans, which I do like with a breakfast. Granted, baked beans are not typical 5-star fare.
We also had a large choice of bread and cold options, including cereal and milk. All told, breakfast at the Glencoe Inn was a great way to set ourselves up for another day of adventuring in the Scottish highlands.
Would I come back to the Glencoe Inn? Absolutely! We had a fantastic experience, and perhaps even more important than my own opinion was that of our guests. Juliana and Breno were all smiles and left Scotland with an absolutely fantastic impression, helped immensely by the fine hospitality they received while in Glencoe.
You can watch my video blog of the experience on YouTube down below:
Collect the Castles of Scotland NFT selection.
Truly excellent blog post. I enjoyed watching the video of your time in Glencoe, but I perhaps enjoyed this written account even more.
Check your history. The people of Glencoe were housing English troops whose immediate commander was a Campbell - not the Campbell clan. He was acting under direct orders from his superiors. You might also look into the "barn of bones" is you want to see where some of the bad blood comes from.