If you would love to visit the stunningly beautiful Glen Coe area in the Scottish Highlands but aren’t sure if you can fit it into your road trip itinerary, you should know that you can easily Glen Coe on a day trip from Oban. Below we present our 1-Day Glen Coe Loop Road Trip Itinerary from Oban Travel Guide, which includes several attractions you can visit on your way to or from Glen Coe, including several castles, churches, and spectacular viewpoints, as well as several short-to-medium distance hiking and walking trails you can do while in Glen Coe. Although the proposed itinerary was put together with a day trip from Oban in mind, it can definitely be stretched out over a few days if you prefer with a night spent in the Glen Coe Valley.
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You might also be interested in these pages:
Best Things to See in the Scottish Highlands
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Best Hikes to do in the Scottish Highlands
Best Things to See and Do in Oban
Orientation — The Oban – Glen Coe Loop Itinerary
If you were to drive directly from Oban to the center of Glen Coe Valley (not to be confused with Glencoe village, located at the western end of the valley), it would take you roughly an hour. But to see more varied scenery, in addition to seeing more attractions along the way, we highly recommend the loop itinerary that will first take you inland through a series of scenic lochs (with stops to visit a stunning lochside church and impressive castle ruins along the way) on your way to Glen Coe. The return leg will follow the eastern shores of Loch Linnhe with additional suggested sightseeing stops along the way, time permitting.
Our proposed Oban – Glen Coe Loop road trip itinerary will take roughly 2h40 of driving to complete, but it definitely won’t feel that long with all the great stops along the way. We suggest doing the loop in a counter-clockwise manner, first heading east towards St Conan’s Kirk (the first stop of the itinerary, described further below). With all the proposed stops and viewpoints, you can expect the loop to take upwards of 5 hours, and even longer if you decide to include a short hike along the way.
For advice and tips on how to drive in Scotland, check out our Scotland Roadtrip Driving Guide.
If you haven’t booked your rental vehicle yet, we highly recommend using Discover Cars to get the best rates on your rental in Scotland.
Glen Coe Loop Itinerary — Stops Along the Way
St Conan’s Kirk
Located along the shores of the beautiful Loch Awe, just 33 km east of Oban, this stunning church is easy to miss as you don’t see much of it from the road (A85). But as you enter the parking lot, the church’s beauty very quickly jumps out at you. Designed and built by Walter Douglas-Campbell, the Kirk is unique in having an example of almost every style of church architecture. Highlights include the Norman doorway, ten Gothic flying buttresses, a Celtic cross, the Arts and Crafts carvings, the Saxon tower and even a Stone circle. It was first completed in 1886 and subsequently substantially expanded in 1914.
Opening hours for the church are 9 am to 6 pm (April to September) and 9 am to 5 pm (October to March) (Note: The Kirk may closed for special events) – but you can still visit the outside of the church and grounds outside of these hours. There’s also a tearoom in the building beside the church (not open during winter), and a beautiful garden from which you can admire the Loch. Entrance is by donation which goes towards the restoration and upkeep of the Kirk (suggested amount £3 per person) – donations can also be after your visit online through the Kirk’s Donation Webpage.
Kilkurn Castle & the Loch Awe Railway Bridge
The Kilkurn Castle is a shell of its former self, lying partially in ruin at the northeastern end of Loch Awe. It was first built in the mid-1400s as the base of the Campbells of Glenorchy, who extended both the castle and their territory over the next 150 years. After the Campbells became Earls of Breadalbane and moved to Taymouth Castle, Kilchurn slowly fell out of use and, although it was converted into a garrison stronghold for a time, it was completely abandoned and in ruins by 1770. It nonetheless today contains the oldest surviving barracks on the British mainland.
We can’t comment on visiting the castle interior as Kilchurn was closed for conservation works when we passed through the area. Normally it is open to the public during the summer months, and tickets can be purchased online on the Historic Environment Scotland website. If the interior is open, you can climb up to wooden platforms erected in the higher battlements’ remains. This gives you great views to the west along Loch Awe.
To reach the Castle, you need to park in the designated car park and then follow the path that leads to the castle for about 500m. On your way there you’ll come across the beautiful scenery surrounding the Loch Awe bridge.
Also, depending on the season and the time of day, there’s often a great food truck “The Hungry Haggis” parked in the Kilchurn castle car park.
One mile away, there’s another small parking area from which you can get a beautiful view of both the castle and Loch Awe from the south.
Loch Tulla viewpoint
Although Loch Tulla is one of the smaller lochs you pass in the western Highlands, the views around here are amazing, so you’ll probably want to stop at the car park to soak it all in.
Kinghouse Hotel
The Kinghouse Hotel the eastern end of the Glen Coe valley is worth at least a brief visit. For one, the area around the hotel is often frequented by deer (sadly there weren’t any when we passed by). Second, the scenery from the hotel parking lot is just insanely beautiful. You can also visit the hotel to see (or eat at) their newly renovated bar and restaurant area.
Another reason to stop here is the public toilets located at the end of the car park, one of the few in the Glen Coe Valley.
The Three Sisters viewpoint
As you drive through the Glen Coe Valley, you’ll come across various parking lots that are just off the main road. Most of the parking spots are used by those hiking the nearby trails, but many stop for a quick photo and should feel free to do the same. If you don’t want to stop too often, then The Three Sisters Viewpoint is the spot for you – an iconic Glen Coe landscape of three steeply-sided ridges that extend north into the Glen. The viewpoint parking lot is also the starting point for two of our recommended walks/hikes described below.
Castle Stalker viewpoint
Once you’ve exited the Glen Coe valley, you’ll start to head south following the shoreline of Loch Linnhe. Although you’ll see the Castle from the road, the best place to enjoy better views of it is from the Castle Stalker View Cafe & Giftshop. There is also a short trail you can walk to get even better views of the Castle and Loch Linnhe. You should note that the parking is reserved for customers, so you might want to consider purchasing a coffee or snack if you would like to stop here to view the castle.
The original Castle Stalker was a small fort built around 1320 by Clan MacDougall, who were then Lords of Lorn. Around 1388 the Stewarts took over the Lordship of Lorn, and it is believed that they built the castle in its present form around the 1440s. Later the Stewarts’ relative King James IV of Scotland visited the castle and a drunken bet around 1620 resulted in the castle passing to Clan Campbell. After the castle changed hands between these clans a couple of times over the following decades, the Campbells finally abandoned it completely about 1840 when it lost its roof. In 1908 the castle was bought by Charles Stewart of Achara, who carried out basic conservation work. In 1965 Lt. Col. D. R. Stewart Allward acquired the castle and fully restored it over about ten years.
Castle Stalker today remains in private ownership and is open to the public at selected times during the summer (May through August – usually open 10-12 days per month and prior booking is required (£25 for adults (2023)) on the castle’s official website).
Dunstaffnage Castle & Chapel
Dunstaffnage Castle is a partially ruined Castle located just 5 km north of Oban. The castle dates back to the 13th century, making it one of Scotland’s oldest stone castles. It was built by the MacDougall lords of Lorn and has been held since the 15th century by the Clan Campbell. The castle can be visited daily during summer, and five days per week during winter. Tickets can be purchased in advance on the Historic Environment Scotland website.
Suggested walking and hiking trails to do along the way
Glen Coe is a true paradise for hikers, hill walkers and outdoor enthusiasts alike due to its wide range of trails catering to all abilities. Here we will focus on a few of our favorites that are right off the main road, but for a more extensive list, you can check out our guide on the Best Hikes and Walks to Do in Glen Coe.
The Glen Coe Old Military Road Trail probably has the best work-to-reward ratio of all the trails listed here. The scenery is stunning before you even reach the trailhead from the parking lot – and it continues to be stunning during the entirety of the trail. The trail runs through the Glen Coe valley floor along the River Coe. It’s a great trail to get a taste of Glen Coe, especially if you are short on time or don’t want to climb difficult trails.
Although the trail also runs parallel to the main road (A82) through Glen Coe, it’s sufficiently below the level of the road so you are likely to forget how close to the road you actually are.
The Lost Valley Trail, also known as the Hidden Valley trail or Coire Gabhail, this was our favorite trail in Glen Coe – it has a little of everything and something for everyone. There are beautiful forested sections, an open stunning valley surrounded by dramatic peaks, (easy) river crossings, some easy flat and some harder steep sections, and some light scrambling over boulders in certain spots. As a bonus, the trailhead is next to the famous Three Sisters of Glen Coe viewpoint. This trail is also easily combined with the Old Military Road trail described above, as both trails share the same trailhead and endpoint.
The Devil’s Staircase Trail Our second favorite trail in Glen Coe was the Devil’s Staircase. This trail is technically part of the West Highland Way trail (a long-distance walking route through the Highlands), one where you’ll be required to climb 400 m in elevation over a short 2.5 km section of trail. However, despite the intense ascent, the reward at the top is definitely worth the effort. The scenery as seen from the summit is simply stunning, which is why this trail is one of our favourites in the Glencoe area. And like the Glen Coe Old Military trail highlighted above, you have non-stop jaw-dropping views during the entire trail.
Preparing a trip to the Highlands?
You might be interested in these pages:
Best Things to See in the Scottish Highlands
Best Scenic Drives and Routes Through the Scottish Highlands
Best Hikes to do in the Scottish Highlands
Preparing a trip to Scotland?
You might be interested in these Scotland pages:
10-Day Scotland Roadtrip Itinerary (Edinburgh and Highlands)
Scotland Driving Guide and Tips
7 of the Best Castles to Visit in Scotland
Best Things to See in the Scottish Highlands
Best Hikes to do in the Scottish Highlands
We also highly recommend these guidebooks:
Rick Steves Scotland
Lonely Planet Scotland’s Highlands
Photography Gear
If you like our photography, you might be interested in some of the gear we use to shoot our travel and hiking destinations.
Camera Body – Nikon Z 6ii Fx-series Mirrorless Body
Main Lens – NIKON 24-120mm F/4G ED VR AF-S
Zoom Lens – Sigma 745-306 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Polarizing filters – Urth Circular Polarizing (CPL)
Camera Tripod – K&F Concept 64-inch Camera Tripod
Mini-tripod – Lammcou Flexible Camera Tripod
Camera/hiking backpack – Vanguard Alta Rise 48 Backpack
Universal Travel Adapter – VYLEE Universal International Power Travel Plug
Other Travel Essentials
Travel Insurance
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e-Sim cards
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eSIMS are a sustainable alternative to single-use SIM cards – they are 100% digital, require less energy to produce and be re-used rather than disposed of.
Car Rentals
Discover Cars is our go-to website for car rentals. We almost always find our preferred rate there.
Transfer from Airport
Welcome Pickups is our favourite private transfer service, which you can pre-book at a fixed price. Currently available in 220 cities all over the world (mostly in Europe, but with several major cities in Asia, the Middle East and the US).
Kiwitaxi is another private transfer service – we haven’t tried it yet, but it’s currently available in a few more countries (102 as of 2024).
Hotels and Accommodations (coming soon)
Photography Prints
If you found this blog useful, you can help support our blog by purchasing low-cost digital prints. Printed physical prints are also available for purchase.
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our 1-Day Glen Coe Loop Road Trip Itinerary from Oban Travel Guide and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to the beautiful Scottish Highlands.
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