Glencoe Stagecoach Poster
Glencoe Folk Museum

The stagecoach gave tourists a chance to see Glencoe. The Highlands was one of the first UK tourist destinations, with tours of the region beginning in earnest from the 1750s. At this time, war in Europe prevented the wealthier classes from partaking of the Grand Tour to expand their education. Visiting Scotland was seen as a suitable alternative. Queen Victoria further popularised travel to the Highlands from the 1870s.

This poster gives details of travel to the region via the Glencoe stagecoach. At Ballachulish, tourists could then pick up a train to Oban, before taking the ferry to the Isle of Mull via the MacBrayne ferry terminal in Oban. The inclusion of the train would have speeded up the journey – coaches had to stop regularly to rest the horses, which generally only travelled at around 12 miles per hour.

Visitors would, however, have enjoyed travelling through the Glen, drawn to the area which was noted for its sublime beauty and qualities of the ‘picturesque’. Later, it was also connected with mountaineering and winter sports.