The Pap of Glencoe is considered one of the best hikes for its incredible 360 ° views of Glencoe.
In this guide you’ll find everything you need to plan your adventure.
With more than 30 officially recognised hikes in Glencoe, whether you’re visiting for a couple of days or indeed a couple of weeks, picking which you’d like to attempt can feel a little overwhelming.
And this is exactly the situation we found ourselves in after making the rather last-minute decision to head to the western Highlands for a few days of epic landscapes and outdoor adventures.
The Pap of Glencoe (Sgorr na Ciche) was recommended to us by a couple of friends, but it was a chance encounter with a dedicated Scottish hiker in Inverness that sealed the deal.
A challenge, a view, and one of the area’s best hikes? There’s a reason the Pap comes up time and time again as one of the best things to do in Glencoe.
Sitting at 742m - that’s 2,432ft to baggers and our friends across the Atlantic - its name derives from the Gaelic ‘Peak of the Breast’ (yep, in this context ‘Pap’ really does mean boob!), and whilst it may not be considered terribly beastly compared to others in the region, its steep incline, uneven terrain and need for a good scramble makes it more than a little challenging.
Here is everything you need to know to plan your hike up the Pap of Glencoe.
The Essentials
Distance // 4.3 miles (7 km)
Time // Allow at least four hours there and back (longer if you want to take lots of photos or enjoy a slower lunch at the top).
Altitude // 742m
Elevation gain // 716m
Effort // Moderate
WHERE TO BASE YOURSELF FOR THE PAP OF GLENCOE
The small town of Fort William in the western Scottish Highlands was our base for hiking the Pap of Glencoe, climbing Ben Nevis, and exploring the wider area, and we'd recommend staying in and around there if you have similar plans for you too.
From Fort William it is around a 30-minute drive to the correct car park, or if you’re travelling with public transport, you can access the hike by taking the public bus from the centre of town to Glencoe Village, from which it’s a short walk to the start point.
Alternatively, given the Pap’s proximity to Glencoe village, staying at one of the guesthouses there, on the Old Glencoe Road or in nearby Ballachulish makes sense. The Clachaig Inn, which you should most certainly head to at the end of this walk for a pint and food, is probably the best option!
Is the Pap of Glencoe Hike Difficult?
This is something we’ve gone back and forwards on. Without a shadow of a doubt it’s on the upper margins of moderate, but for those who are not accustomed to hiking - or indeed scrambling - the Pap of Glencoe hike would absolutely be considered difficult.
This is especially true if the weather is less than perfect, and we’d be very hesitant to do this if there’s rain forecast or it had been pelting done the previous night.
It’s all up, up, and up from the start, the path has very uneven rocky sections subject to slides, and the 5-10 minute scramble for the summit may be a challenge for some (though it isn’t a very difficult scramble if we’re being honest with you).
When’s the Best Time to Hike the Pap of Glencoe?
As with almost all mountains and munros in the region, the very best time to attempt this hike is May to September; your chances of clear skies increase, it's lighter earlier and for longer, and there should be no snow at the top or on the trail.
We would NOT recommend doing this hike in poor weather, with the steepness, scramble, and rocky terrain in sections making it very challenging for experienced hikers and novices alike. Similarly, in low visibility / cloud cover, there's no point venturing out (without the view at the summit, this becomes a less enticing endeavour).
There will almost certainly be days outside of this summer season that are fine for confident hikers but nobody should be attempting this climb in winter without all the appropriate climbing gear and experience.
We’d highly recommend getting an in-depth look at the upcoming weather before setting off on your hike, using one of these two webistes:
Mountain Weather Information Services | Provides forecasts for 10 UK mountain areas 365 days a year. Forecasts are generally posted at 4:30pm for the next three days, with updates being made whenever necessary.
Mountain Forecast | Less descriptive than the above, but contains all the necessary information to understand conditions.
Where to Park
For parking, there are two options: the Lochan Forest car park (our name, not its official name), or the Glencoe Lochan car park.
If you arrive nice and early and have the choice of both, we’d recommend heading to the Lochan Forest car park (here on Google Maps). Officially it looks like it has space for around 20 cars, but when we returned, there were probably 30 or so - to maximise space for other hikers, be certain to park well.
Alternatively, should the Lochan Forest car park be full, you can try the main Glencoe Lochan car park (here on Google Maps). It has more spaces, and is only a 5-10 minute walk away.
Note that parking is free in both car parks.
Read Later | The 11 Best Things To Do in Glencoe
The Pap of Glencoe Route
This ‘out and back’ trail should take you around 4 - 5 hours, less if you’re picking up the pace and not taking too many breaks. Whilst the trail itself is a little challenging underfoot, the good news is that, despite the lack of signs, it is very easy to follow.
Beginning from the car park, take the path marked as the ‘Glencoe Orbital Path’. This will lead you through a small section of forest running parallel to the single-track road, until you come to the official start point of the Pap of Glencoe Trail (Google Maps).
The gate has the name of the hike on it, so you can’t miss it.
Walk over the field, crossing a little stream before following a fairly boggy path along the hillside. This will a be a gradual incline to begin with before becoming progressively more steep, rocky and uneven underfoot; the newly laid scree not yet part of the trail and allowing for the potential to slip.
About halfway up there’s a degree of respite for your knees as it flattens out for a short while, before requiring a decent scramble over large boulders to reach the very top. That last section is a little challenging, but the 360 degree views from the Tap o’ the Pap of Loch Linnhe, Ben Nevis and the munros of Glencoe make it all worth while!
We set out at 9 am, reaching the summit at 11.15 am; the casual walk down took us just under two hours.
You can find the full route + profile here on AllTrails or here on WalkHighlands.
How to Hike Responsibly
As with any foray into the rural landscape, there are some basic rules that all hikers/travellers should follow when hiking the Pap of Glencoe:
Be sure to close all gates are behind you.
Whilst we didn’t spot any sheep on this particular hike, it’s important to note that during lambing season (March to May) it’s essential that all dogs are kept on a lead.
Similarly, if you encounter farm animals on the trail (or indeed wild animals), give them time to walk away rather than attempting to startle them so that they run away.
Take home all litter with you - if you can carry it in, you can carry it out! This includes anything that may be considered biodegradable such as banana skins, orange skins etc. Yes, they break down eventually, but the two years they’re on the trail, they’re still rubbish.
If the carpark is full, be considerate of where you leave your vehicle. Do not block roads or driveways or make it difficult or dangerous for anyone to pass you.
it's essential that all of us on a trail respect the landscape, respect the wildlife there (including all the sheep you'll come across), and respect each other. A wee nod and smile or a hello to the people you pass goes a long way.
What to Wear and Pack for the Pap of Glencoe
For spring & summer hikes in Scotland, you need to have comfortable clothing that will keep you dry and keep you warm. Always dress or pack expecting a shift in temperatures and rain to arrive.
If you are currently in the Highlands and don't have some essential clothing or kit with you, then you can find various outdoors shops in Fort William.
WEAR /
Hiking boots or hiking trainers | These should be worn in properly before being used to hike the Pap of Glencoe. If it's perfect summer conditions, you could get away with decent sports trainers but we don't recommend it.
Waterproof & Wind Resistant Jacket | We wouldn't go out for a hike in the Scottish Highlands without one of these in our daypack.
Hat & Gloves | As the temperatures decrease at the summit, it's always a good idea to have these in your bag. It became incredibly windy and chilly once we were at the top, and we were verrrry thankful to have a pair of gloves to put on! If very sunny, bright conditions are predicted, then a hat and sunglasses are necessary.
Warm Layers | We can’t stress enough how important layers are for this, or indeed any hike. The Pap of Glencoe is quite physical in parts, and we found ourselves stripping down only to require all the layers back again once we hit a wall of wind.
For cold but clear days, we'd go for ethical merino wool (or synthetic) base layers for torso & legs, as well as another layer or two and a lightweight fleece. If it's not so cold, like when we hiked in May, then simply a t-shirt, thick shirts, and a fleece did the job with no base layers required.
Hiking Poles | We unfortunately, didn’t bring our hiking poles with us on this particular trip - around a third of the way down we - and especially our knees - were very much regretting that decision! We’d say that if you have them, and find the extra support helpful, we’d absolutely recommend them for this hike.
We own these travel hiking poles by Brasher.
BRING /
Water | Although this hike isn’t long distance, we’d still recommend having a decent amount of water with you (at least 1L per person), especially if hiking on a warm day when you’re likely to sweat more.
Packed Lunch | There are few simple pleasures we enjoy more than sitting down with a homemade cheese and tomato sandwich and a killer view after climbing to the top of a mountain! And the views from the Pap are definitely worthy of an extended lunchtime break.
If you prefer to eat something hot, Andrew adores this insulated Stanley food jar he bough last year for bringing soups or hot food with us on hikes.
A Thermos | If you don't yet fully appreciate the joys of a wee cup of tea or coffee out in the hills, then you haven't lived. We know that makes us sound old and boring, but we actually only hike so that we can have cups of tea in the outdoors. We use and recommend this 1.4l Stanley Flask - it’s a bit on the dear side but cheap versions simply don’t last.
Suncream | Not essential for each and every climb but, as exposure to UV increases by between 4 to 10 per cent every 1,000 ft above sea level you go, it’s important to slap this on and bring it with you - even if it’s an overcast day.
Mobile Phone | Set off with it fully charged in the morning, and bring a battery pack if you're going to be using it heavily for photos, videos, as well as navigations.
Maps | Have the route map in a paper version, or downloaded on your phone for offline access.
