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Sitting on the shore of Loch Leven and surrounded by towering mountains, Glencoe village marks the gateway to the magnificent Glen Coe, one of Scotland's most impressive valleys.

The main road between Glasgow and Fort William runs through the glen and is a remarkably scenic drive. Three massive spurs known as the Three Sisters guard the southern side of the glen, with the precipitous Aonach Eagach ridge to the north. The cinematic landscape has featured in Skyfall, some of the Harry Potter movies and Braveheart, but the temperamental weather ensures it’s ever-changing, with rain giving way to sun or even snow at a moment's notice.

The glen is also one of Scotland's most historic — it was the scene of the most brutal massacre in Highland history. Following the Jacobite uprising of 1689, King William of England ordered all Scottish chiefs to sign an oath of allegiance to the crown.

Alastair Maclain, Chief of Glencoe, was intentionally thwarted in his efforts to reach the local sheriff in time and was late in signing. When the military regiment from Argyll later arrived in Glencoe they were billeted with local families, as was customary at the time. But, in February 1692, the regiment brutally murdered their hosts in the middle of the night to send a strong signal to other clans reluctant to sign the oath. A memorial in the village commemorates the families from the MacDonald clan that were killed.

Today, Glencoe is a tranquil spot with plenty of local services. It has a surprising number of art galleries for a village of its size, but inside any one of them you'll quickly see how local and international artists have taken advantage of the outstanding local scenery. The majestic mountain landscapes, steely gray lochs and nearby Atlantic coastline have all been recorded in a variety of mediums and styles.

The village is also a popular base for hikers and climbers, who have been drawn there for many years by the sheer variety of terrain. There are plenty of options for short, manageable walks to impressive waterfalls or lake viewpoints but, if you're eager to tackle something more challenging, it's easy to get advice locally on a number of superb hikes and climbs.

The remote and spectacular Glen Etive is a well-tested walking route. For the more experienced, the Lost Valley at the top of Bidean nam Bian, at 1,141 m (3,743 ft), and the knife-edge Aonach Eagach, one of the Highland's most beautiful and challenging ridge walks at 953 m (3,127 ft), are great options.