Glencoe Visitor Centre

In 2002 the old visitor centre was removed, and a start was made on returning its site and car park to nature. May 2002 saw the opening of the NTS's new £3m visitor centre on the south side of the main road and lower down the glen, nearer to the village of Glencoe.The buildings are laid out as a clachan, a settlement or village. Together they form a spindly "H" shaped structure, built on stilts just above the ground amid a birch wood. The stilts are intended to ensure a light footprint that doesn't disturb the tree roots or groundwater. The green design of the Visitor Centre carries through to the use of filtered water from a nearby burn, and the on-site treatment of sewage. The buildings are mostly made from timber, and all of the timber used comes from sustainable sources in Scotland. Energy efficiency is very high, with recycled paper insulation in the walls, and sheep's wool instead of foam around the windows. Heating comes from a boiler (which also provides hot water to the showers in the campsite) burning locally sourced woodchips, making the Visitor Centre CO2 neutral in operation. Visitors approach the centre from the car park via an entrance set in the middle of the west side of the "H". A range of very attractive facilities are on offer. These include an excellent cafe and a shop. You can also view exhibits about Glen Coe and the mountains surrounding it and view the Glencoe Lookout Station, showing images from web cameras covering parts of the surrounding countryside.