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Ballachulish is divided into three parts. North Ballachulish was the original settlement on the north side of Loch Leven near the early ferry crossing at the narrows. It was swiftly followed by South Ballachulish where the ferry landed. The village called simply Ballachulish is on the south side of the loch upstream of the bridge near the mouth of sparsely inhabited Glencoe.
History
The glen was not always uninhabited. When William III came to the throne after considerable civil conflict, he offered amnesty to his former opponents on condition that they take an oath of allegiance in front of a magistrate by the end of 1691. Through a series of circumstances Alastair MacLean, Chief of the MacDonalds of Glencoe, took the oath a week late. His enemies in London got an order from the King for the extermination of the MacDonalds. A detachment of troops loyal to Campbell were billeted on the MacDonalds. In the middle of one night they fell on their hosts and executed 38 men, then burned their homes. Forty women and children subsequently died of exposure. Today there are few people in the Glencoe who did not arrive on a coach tour from Glasgow or Edinburgh.
A monument stands in South Ballachulish near the narrows. On that spot James Stewart of Acharn was hung for conspiracy in the murder of Colin Roy Campbell, a crime that became known as the Appin Murders and was memorialised by Robert Louis Stevenson in his novel Kidnapped. Stewart, a political activist, was convicted and executed on minimal evidence of shooting Campbell, a government operative. Stewart maintained his innocence even as he mounted the gibbet. His body hung at the ferry for 18 months as an example to other resisters.
Ballachulish had convenient deposits of high quality slate, and by 1700 it had become a centre for quarrying. The product of the quarries is seen in throughout the town and particularly in the graveyard, where centuries-old gravestones made of slate are in far better condition than the granite or marble stones used in other areas. The disused quarries themselves are visible just east of the town. The Glencoe and North Lorn Folk Museum, ten minutes from Ballachulish near the A82, displays both military and domestic artefacts. They have a particularly nice display on the slate industry.
Activities and attractions
The ferry that led to the founding of Ballachulish is gone now, although its slips remain. The Ballachulish Bridge spans the narrows. Its steel trusses were originally painted mint green, earning it the nickname of King Kong's Coathanger. Local outfitters rent sailboats and powerboats for puttering around on the loch, and the walking up scenic and deserted Glencoe is fabulous. Adventure operators offer not only white water rafting but clambering through canyons and abseiling down waterfalls. More sedate options include bicycling, pony trekking or simply driving through the incredible scenery.
The Dragon's Tooth Golf Course near Ballachulish is open to visitors with no prebooking required. They have nine holes of the most scenic golf in all of Scotland. Extensive swaths of green lawn step down in stages toward the blue waters of the loch, and panoramic views of the surrounding hills may leave observers breathless. This being Scotland, the course is tailored to perfection with beautifully groomed greens. Also on the grounds is Ballachulish House, a 250 year old manse associated with both the Glencoe massacre and the Appin murders, and a neolithic burial cairn.
Access and Places to Stay
Travel to Ballachulish will likely be by road, either in a car or a coach. The road is quite narrow and twisty, and drivers should keep an eye out for approaching traffic and know where the next passing place is likely to be. B&Bs, hostels and self-catering accommodation predominate, but there are a few hotels in the Ballachulish area. Quite a number of restaurants exist, and plenty of pubs and tearooms as well as takeaways. Ballachulish may be in a rural area, but folk their know how to show visitors a good time.
Accommodation in Ballachulish
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