When you hear the name Devil’s Staircase, a spectacular hike in the Scottish Highlands is probably not the first thought that comes to mind. The spooky name given to the trail was also not a coincidence, as many have lost their lives in that very spot while walking.
Located in Glencoe, Devil’s Staircase is a steep track through the mountains leading to Kinlochleven, also known as the Highway to Hell. While nowadays you would travel where you need to go down the bottom of the valley, people would cross the steep mountains to get places from as early as the 14th century to make the journey quicker before modern transport.
Used as a drove road, Devil’s Staircase was part of a network across the UK in which people would walk hundreds of miles with their animals. This way, herders did not need to try and swim with cows or sheep, and could reach Scotland’s central markets easier.
In the 18th century, the English converted the drove road into a military road where troops could keep an eye on any remaining Jacobite rebels after their defeat at the Battle of Culloden near Inverness in 1746.
How did Devil’s Staircase get its name?
In 1907, the 900-meter-long Blackwater Reservoir was being built by hand to provide hydroelectricity to Kinlochleven. The workers lived in camps, having to face all kinds of weather. After work, the men would cross the road to go to the pub to the Kingshouse Hotel to unwind with a pint or ten.
The way back was the hardest for these men, especially on a cold winter’s night, with some workers not surviving the return journey. Those who do survive would say “the Devil had claimed his own”, so the name Devil’s Staircase has stuck to this day.
On top of the very steep road, many of these men would live in horrid conditions and would also die from malnutrition and disease, so more physical exertion to their bodies and the harsh temperatures would make their odds harder to survive the hike.
Visiting Devil’s Staircase
Today, visitors should not worry about sacrificing their lives to the devil, as most hikes are done during the day, and in much safer conditions. You could either park on the A82 at Altnafeadh and take a taxi back from Kinlochleven, or go up Stob Mhic Mhartuin for a lovely view to return back to your car on foot.
More information about the hike can be found on Discover Glencoe.