Glen Orchy ( gd, Gleann Urchaidh) is a

glen A glen is a valley, typically one that is long and bounded by gently sloped concave sides, unlike a ravine, which is deep and bounded by steep slopes. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower ...

Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020) ...

, Scotland. It runs from Bridge of Orchy to Dalmally.

Geography

Glen Orchy is about 17 km or 11 miles long, and runs south-west from Bridge of Orchy () to Dalmally () following the

River Orchy The River Orchy ( gd, Urchaidh / Abhainn Urchaidh) is a river that passes through the village of Dalmally, Argyll in the Scottish Highlands, West Highlands of Scotland. It rises in the Black Mount Forest, and flows southerly, passing through Loc ...

through the Caledonian Forest. There are no settlements in the glen: just a few isolated buildings. The Eas Urchaidh and Eas a’ Chathaidh are waterfalls within the glen. The continuation westward past Dalmally to Loch Awe is known as the Strath of Orchy. The B8074 road runs the length of Glen Orchy.

Name

Glen Orchy was known by the by-name of Gleann Urchaidh nam badan (Glen Orchy of the copses), and the parish of Glen Orchy was An Dìseart (the hermitage), a name appearing in Clachan an Dìseirt (the village of the hermitage), the local Gaelic name of the village of Dalmally.

History

Glen Orchy was one of the major homes of

Clan Gregor Clan Gregor, also known as Clan MacGregor, () is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan that claims an origin in the early 9th century. The clan's most famous member is Rob Roy MacGregor of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The Clan ...

until the clan was outlawed in 1603 by King

James VI James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

. The settlement of Glenorchy, in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

, was named after Glen Orchy.

Notable people

One of the better known inhabitants of the glen was Duncan Ban MacIntyre.

Sport

Glenorchy Camanachd Glenorchy Camanachd is a shinty club from Dalmally, Scotland. In 2022, Glenorchy combined with Taynuilt at senior level to field a team as Cruachanside. History Old letters and poetry show that organised shinty was played in Dalmally in an ...

is a

shinty Shinty ( gd, camanachd, iomain) is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread in Scotland, and ...

team from Dalmally in the Strath of Orchy.

In popular culture

"The Bridge at Glen Orchy" is referred to in the 1995 film '' Rob Roy'', as the place where

Rob Roy MacGregor Robert Roy MacGregor ( gd, Raibeart Ruadh MacGriogair; 7 March 1671 – 28 December 1734) was a Scottish outlaw, who later became a folk hero. Early life Rob Roy was born in the Kingdom of Scotland at Glengyle, at the head of Loch Katrine, a ...

(

Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on '' Th ...

) is to be lynched for rustling the cattle and kidnapping the Factor of the Duke of Montrose (

John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 25 January 2017) was an English actor whose career spanned over five decades. Hurt was regarded as one of Britain's finest actors. Director David Lynch described him as "simply the greatest actor in t ...

References

Valleys of Argyll and Bute Glens of Scotland {{Argyll-geo-stub