In the heart of the Highlands, close to Glencoe, the Glen Etive road is 12 miles of peak Scottish scenery – mountains, moorland, lochs and huge skies. It might be short but it packs in some seriously impressive views. But could this dead-end, single-track drive be one of the most beautiful road trips in Scotland? I think so, and I’ve got James Bond to back me up. Author Ian Fleming’s family had a lodge in the glen, and the road was used as a location for the Bond film Skyfall. So whether you’re channeling your inner Daniel Craig or just looking for some Scottish scenic beauty, here’s everything you need to know about driving the Glen Etive road.
Read more: Highland highlights: 13 things to do in Fort William and Glencoe

Loch Etive
Where is Glen Etive?
To reach Glen Etive, follow the A82 between Glencoe and Bridgy of Orchy. The turning is signposted off the main road close to the Kingshouse Hotel and Glencoe Mountain Resort – it’s on your right if you’re coming from Glencoe and on your left if you’re coming from the south. There are no facilities in Glen Etive (no shops, toilets etc) and mobile phone signal is patchy. But you basically just carry on until you run out of road, so you can’t go too far wrong!
Driving the scenic Glen Etive Road
The Glen Etive road might only be 12 miles long, but you’ll want to make lots of photo stops, so allow around an hour each way for the drive. It’s a single-track road with lots of bends, ups and downs along the way, so try and keep your eyes off the scenery long enough to watch the road. You’ll need to pull into a passing place if you meet another vehicle so be prepared to reverse if necessary. And if you want to stop, pull off the road and avoid blocking passing places.
Near the beginning of the road you’ll see two mountains, which are known in Gaelic as the ‘Herdsmen of Etive’ – Buachaille Etive Mor and Buachaille Etive Beag. Buachaille Etive Mor (aka the Buachaille or the Beuckle) is one of the most photographed mountains in Scotland, and looks just like a child’s drawing of a mountain with its perfect pyramid shape.

The start of the Glen Etive Road
The first part of the road follows the banks of the River Etive, which has its source on Rannoch Moor and is a favourite for whitewater kayakers – it can get wild when there’s been a lot of rain. Around four miles along the road the Etive Mor Waterfall makes a good photo opportunity. And a bit further along is the spot used in Skyfall, where Bond and M stop off in the Aston Martin on the way to Bond’s childhood home, Skyfall Lodge (just a film set in Surrey unfortunately).
The road winds on through heather-covered moorland before running into a thick forest, where it gets narrower and more enclosed. It passes the Dalness Estate – which was owned by Ian Fleming’s family – as well as a couple of small lochs surrounded by towering mountains, before coming to the tiny hamlet of Gualachulain. Carry on through Gualachulain and you’ll reach the end of the road on the banks of Loch Etive, where there’s a small car park.

The still waters of Loch Etive
Loch Etive is 30km long, 1.5km wide and reaches a depth of 150 metres. Its vast clear waters stretch off into the distance and reflect the sky like a mirror on a calm day. And although it might feel like you’re miles away from the coast, the water is actually salty as the loch connects to the sea (if you zoom out on the map above you can see how it curves around to the west and eventually meets the sea at Ardmucknish Bay, just above Oban).
Originally the road carried on around the edge of the loch to Taynuilt and there also used to be a steamer service taking passengers on to Oban in the 1840s. But today the loch is the end of the line – unless you head out on the water. It’s a great place to explore by kayak, especially on a sunny day when the water’s as still as a pond. Otherwise take a walk along the loch before retracing your steps, with the views looking completely different from another angle.

Buachaille Etive Mor and Buachaille Etive Beag
What if I want to stay longer?
If a couple of hours isn’t enough Glen Etive for you and you want to spend longer exploring and do some of the area’s walks, then there are a few different accommodation options. Wild camping is allowed in Glen Etive, so you can just find a spot by the lake or along the river and pitch your tent for the night. There are no facilities though, so you’ll need to bring everything you need and take your rubbish away with you – the area’s had a problem with littering.
If you don’t fancy camping, there are a couple of places to stay in Gualachulain – a house rental sleeping eight (from £150 a night, minimum stay three nights) and a six-bunk bothy (from £70 a night, minimum stay two nights). Or you can live like a laird at the Dalness Estate. The estate’s refurbished Victorian lodge sleeps up to 14 and comes with a housekeeper and chef. A three-night stay costs £3600, though there’s also a more modest four-person cottage.

Gorse flowers by Loch Etive
Pin it
This article contains affiliate links, where I get a small commission at no extra cost to you, thanks.
36 Comments
Peter Elvidge
July 23, 2019 at 1:23 pmJust loving this, one of my favourite places …..
Lucy
July 23, 2019 at 1:32 pmAh thank you!
Kacie Morgan
July 23, 2019 at 2:44 pmI’m ashamed to admit I’ve never actually been to Scotland, despite living in Wales. It’s so beautiful, I really need to get planning my first trip
Lucy
July 30, 2019 at 1:09 pmYou definitely do! So many amazing places there though it’s hard to narrow it down.
Jess
July 23, 2019 at 3:54 pmWOW! What stunning photography. Scotland really does have some amazing landscapes.
xoxo
Jess
The Crown Wings | UK Travel & Lifestyle Blog
Lucy
July 30, 2019 at 1:09 pmIt certainly does – and seeing them in the sunshine is always a bonus!
Janis
July 24, 2019 at 9:00 amThis looks beautiful, it’s really about time I returned to Scotland.
Lucy
July 30, 2019 at 1:11 pmSo much to see up there!
Suzanne Jones
July 24, 2019 at 11:40 amIt’s absolutely beautiful Lucy. Glen Etive Road is going straight on my travel wish list!
Lucy
July 30, 2019 at 1:11 pmThanks Suzanne, it was top of my Highland to-do list but still the views blew me away.
Paul Healy
July 26, 2019 at 2:16 pmYour photos are stunning. I’d definitely overdue for a trip to Scotland and now I’ve got some ideas for the perfect road trip. I haven’t heard about Glen Etive before so thanks for introducing it to us.
Lucy
July 30, 2019 at 1:12 pmThank you! Yes it’s not as well known as some of the longer drives but definitely worth checking out.
Kathryn Burrington
July 27, 2019 at 8:20 pmThis is so beautiful! I’d love to go wild camping here. So good that they allow it but such a shame people still leave litter. Why go to such a wild beautiful place and trash it?
Lucy
July 30, 2019 at 1:13 pmI know – seems crazy doesn’t it!
Lara
July 29, 2019 at 11:23 amBeautiful photos! x
Lucy
July 30, 2019 at 1:15 pmThank you!
Ira
July 30, 2019 at 9:22 amGreat post! This definitely sparked my interest to travel to Scotland!
Lucy
July 30, 2019 at 1:15 pmIt’s well worth a visit – so many beautiful and interesting places to see!
Dylan Jones
July 30, 2019 at 7:39 pmI’d love to drive that road. It’s definitely on my list of ‘to-do’s. Great photos, the scenery looks beautiful.
Lucy
August 1, 2019 at 9:10 pmIt’s such a stunner!
Keith Lim
August 1, 2019 at 7:15 pmSimply amazing! Too bad I’ve not been there but certainly want to be. The north coast 500 is another great road trip which is on my bucket list. Too many reasons to go Scotland!
Lucy
August 1, 2019 at 9:19 pmI would love to do the NC500 sometime – the guy who set it up gave a talk to my uni course and it sounds amazing!
Stuart Forster
August 22, 2019 at 6:44 pmLooks a gorgeous landscape. That pic of the reflection on the lake is a stunner!
Lucy
September 2, 2019 at 2:23 amIt’s a real beauty!
april
December 1, 2019 at 12:36 amlooks like an incredible place- thanks for sharing the drive and the details!
Lucy
December 12, 2019 at 9:40 amYou’re very welcome, hope you get to try it out sometime soon!
Brit Walker
December 6, 2019 at 1:41 amJust happened upon your blog. We are heading for the Highlands next week and will be in Glencoe on Thursday evening. Do you have a favorite restaurant in the area for dinner? We will make the Etive drive Friday morning. Thank you are all the tips!
Lucy
December 12, 2019 at 9:35 amHope you have an amazing time – the Clachaig Inn is good for dinner or Lochleven Seafood too.
Brit Walker
December 15, 2019 at 9:44 pmWe stayed at the Clachaig Inn and ate in the “”Boots” Pub. We really enjoyed it as well as the the drive. Really spectacular with snow on the mountains. The sun even came out when we go to the loch.
Steve
November 10, 2020 at 7:35 pmThanks for sharing the drive. By coincidence we are considering a rental some 9 miles down this road in mid January and can you advise on weather conditions when the weather is bleak, ie is it maintained? Thanks for any help.
Brit
November 11, 2020 at 4:21 pmSteve, the A82 is well maintained with salt and grit. Not sure about the Glen Etive road, it snowed a few cm the morning we were there, but is had mostly melted. As long the snow is not too deep you should be fine….you’ll be driving slowly regardless taking it all in.
Steve
November 12, 2020 at 9:50 amThank you for taking the time to reply…
Nazneen Amin
November 12, 2020 at 9:33 pmI did this road in October 2020after reading your blog! It was truly stunning and breath taking drive. I told my boys that we would be doing the bond route in Skyfall…they were thrilled.It had remained one of our main highlights from our visit in the highlands. We also saw some amazing red deer at Glen Etive drive that It was totally awesome. I m returning next year , only to experience this drive again !
Lucy Dodsworth
November 23, 2020 at 12:40 pmThat’s brilliant, so glad you enjoyed it – and amazing to see some deer too!
Brit
November 13, 2020 at 1:52 amOne more tip for both of you, just off the A82 sits the Kings House Hotel. It is a great place for lunch or if later in the afternoon for Tea and Soup. The hotel is right on the West Highland Way, so if you fancy a hike you can start from the carpark.
Lucy Dodsworth
November 23, 2020 at 12:39 pmThanks for the tip!