Finding the Lagangarbh Hut in Glencoe, Scotland
ou’ve probably seen the iconic image of a tiny, little, white hut looking lonely and dwarfed at the base of a dark and rugged mountain. The first time I saw this picture perfect image, I knew I had to go and see it myself in person.
The problem was, without even having a name to go by, this little white hut can be pretty difficult to find. Trust me, searching “Little White Hut, Scotland” into Google doesn’t get you very far.
Even after finding out its name, it was really difficult to get an exact location. Eventually, my search brought me to Glencoe, but when you know nothing about Scotland, a location that says “The North Side of the Buachaille Etive Mor” isn’t very helpful. Instead it raises a number of questions like: How big is the Buachaille Etive Mor – for all I know it could take 4 hours to circulate it before I find the hut. How am I suppose to know which side is the North Side? GoogleMaps doesn’t exactly tell you that information. Similarly, how close can you get to it by car? Is there any parking nearby? Do you need to hike there? Is it hidden or easy to see and out in the open?
So for the noobs out there who, like I was, are just trying to make their travel dreams come true, here’s a trusty guide to everything you need to know during your search to find the Lagangarbh Hut.
The Exact Location of the Lagangarbh Hut
Without further ado, let’s get into the hut’s location!
The Lagangarbh Hut is located in the Western Scottish Highlands of Glencoe Scotland, on the north side of The Buachaille Etive Mor. The coordinates are: 56.661806, -4.904396.
Being the only building in the vicinity amongst such a rugged and expansive landscape is part of its breathtaking appeal. Even though the hut looks as if it’s standing in the middle of nowhere in pictures, it’s actually not difficult to find at all! In fact, it’s right beside the main highway, the A82, that passes right through Glencoe. Visible from the road, you absolutely cannot miss it! Parking is also very stress free and simple. There are plenty of shoulders on the A82, that you can veer off into and park the car. From these parking spots, it’s just a short walk to the Lagangarbh Hut.
Referring to the map below, I’ve included 3 markers, click the icon in the top left corner to pop open a sidebar with more info. I have marked 2 of the closest parking spots on the map, but there are numerous along the highway.
As you walk towards the hut, you’ll notice the River Coupall runs just in front of it. If you want to get a closer look at the hut, there are wooden footbridges scattered around the area that you use to cross over the river.
I arrived around 4PM – 5PM and pretty much had the place to myself except for another group of photographers. It was great because by this time all the tour buses had left, so there was plenty of parking and no crowds – the best! I also visited during mid-March, which is a quieter season.
Map of the Lagangarbh Hut and Parking Areas
Use the map below to navigate to the two closet parking areas and the Lagangarbh Hut (it’s called “Glen Coe Photography House” in GoogleMaps).
Getting To Glencoe From Edinburgh or Glasgow
By Car
If you’re looking to travel to the Lagangarbh Hut from Glencoe or Glasgow, I recommend that you drive. It’s one of the most scenic, beautiful drives, plus there’s a whole heap of great places to stop off at along the way – if you’re an Outlander fan, you can a stop at Doune Castle, like I did. Altogether, the drive is around 2.5 hours which saves you a lot of time when you compare it to the 4 hours trip by public transport. The drive is very simple, I had no problems!
By Public Transport
If hiring a car is not for you, there are buses you can take from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Glencoe village. Tickets can be bought from Scottish Citylink.
The bus routes to the right show the buses and the exact route to take to get to Glencoe Visitor Centre, which is located closer to Glencoe village. You want to get off at the “Chairlift Road End” stop (according to Google, this is the closest stop to The Lagangarbh Hut, but you could ask the bus driver if there are any closer stops). According to Google it’s a 1 hour walk from “Chairlift Road End” to the Lagangarbh Hut, or just under a 3 hour walk from the Visitor Centre.
Seasonality: When to Visit
ypically, it’s said that the best time to visit Scotland is during the months of April through to June, which covers spring and early summer in Scotland, and September to November, which are Scotland’s autumn months. As a rule of thumb when travelling to Europe, summer tends to be peak season which means more crowds.
To know when YOU should visit Scotland, it’s comes down to your answer to this question; “What type of Scotland do you want to see?” For me, I envisioned lush green landscapes and was initially disappointed to find that March was still very much dominated by brown/orange hues as the flora was still recovering from the winter months.
In the end, I ended up loving these colours in the landscape, but there was an initial shock. So, if you want lush, green Scotland, visit from May – August. If you want orange, auburn hues, visit during mid-late autumn or early spring like I did. If you want to see the place as a winter wonderland covered in show, visit in winter.
Below, I’ve included scenes of the Lagangarbh Hut through the seasons to help you decide when you might like to visit.
Lagangarbh Hut in Spring
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Lagangarbh Hut in Summer
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Lagangarbh Hut in Winter
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Staying At The Lagangarbh Hut
If you are interested in staying at the hut, applications are only accepted from Mountaineering Clubs, Hillwalking Clubs, Individual members of Mountaineering Scotland or the BMC (British Mountaineering Council). See details below:
Address barn stay applications to Bernard Swan:
01389 875 505 or
0771 0785 227
Civilised hours only, please.
Please book and see availability of the Lagangarbh Hut here: https://www.smc.org.uk/huts/lagangarbh
