The Great Glen Way
Highlights:
Loch Ness, Britain’s largest lake
The Caledonian Canal
Urquhart Castle and Inverness Castle
Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain
Brief:
⏱ Duration: 6 - 7 Days
🗺 Distance: 126 km
⛰ Grade: Easy to Moderate
🗓 Best Time: March - October
🛏 Accomm: Bed & Breakfast; hotels
Walk Overview
The Great Glen Way is one of “Scotland’s Great Trails” long distance paths that are maintained with government support. It follows the Great Glen Fault, an ancient, extensive geological fault line that split through the Highlands and left a remarkably straight line of low-country through the mountainous terrain.
The Great Glen is Scotland’s most famous glen. There are a number of reasons for its fame - it’s Scotland’s longest glen, it follows three elongated lochs (Lochy, Oich and Ness) and it’s a “coast to coast” path that enables walkers to make their way from one side of the country to the other via a low-level trail that’s not too demanding.
The trail starts in Fort William on the Atlantic Ocean and finishes at Inverness on the North Sea. Following the trail in that direction means that the prevailing winds are behind you. It also allows you to ease into the walking routine as the first couple of days are easy going.
Fort William is a bustling hub for outdoor activities enthusiasts, watched over by Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain. Soon after leaving Fort William, the Great Glen Way meets and follows the towpath of the Caledonian Canal, an engineering marvel dating from the early nineteenth century. By means of 29 locks, 4 aqueducts and 10 bridges, the canal links the Great Glen’s lochs and so connects Scotland’s east and west coast. One section of the canal, known as Neptune’s Staircase, is a remarkable set of eight locks that raises the canal by 80 feet.
Loch Lochy and Loch Oich are the first lochs you reach and, as they are arrow shaped and point in the direction of the route, the path follows their shores. This stretch of the walk passes through stunning scenery - woodlands of oak, birch, beech and alder line the path, tantalising with periodic views of the lochs and nearby hills. After Loch Oich, the Caledonian Canal returns and the Way again follows the towpath to Fort Augustus.
Fort Augustus is a lively and picturesque town at which the canal towpath ends and the legendary Loch Ness comes into view. The forest paths beside Loch Ness involve some ascents and descents but afford great views of the Loch and the Glen. Aside from the sea monster, Loch Ness is home to the picturesque ruins of Urquhart Castle.
The last stretch of the Great Glen Way, after Drumnadrochit, leaves the shores of Loch Ness and climbs into the hills and moorland above its northern end. The highest point of the walk is reached in Abbriachan Forest (380m; 1245 ft) before descending to the River Ness and the final few kilometres into Inverness. Inverness, being the capital of the Highlands and the site of the beautiful Inverness Castle, is a fitting finishing location.
The complete Great Glen Way covers 126 kilometres (78 miles) and generally takes about six or seven days of walking. Your total trip duration then depends on whether you incorporate rest days and, if so, how many.
Assistance and further information:
For assistance in walking all or part of the Great Glen Way, click the button below:
For more information on walking in the Great Glen, click the button below:
A seven day itinerary for the Great Glen Way is described below.
Itinerary
The walk takes about 6-7 days to complete. A typical 7 day itinerary completing the entire trail is shown below.
Day 1
Fort William to Gairlochy
Distance: 10 km
Time: 5 hours
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast; hotel
Day 2
Gairlochy to Laggan
Distance: 19 km
Time: 5 hours
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast; hotel
Day 3
Laggan to Fort Augustus
Distance: 17 km
Time: 5 hours
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast; hotel
Day 4
Fort Augustus to Invermoriston
Distance: 13km
Time: 4 hours
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast; hotel
Day 5
Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit
Distance: 23 km
Time: 7 hours
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast; hotel
Day 6
Drumnadrochit to Loch Laide
Distance: 11 km
Time: 3 hours
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast; hotel
Day 7
Loch Laide to Inverness
Distance: 20 km
Time: 5 Hours
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast; hotel
Walk Options
Guided
There are several tour operators offering all or part of the Great Glen Way as a guided trip. You can choose to do the entire 126 kilometres (78 miles) walk or opt for shorter versions. The tour operators that offer the full walk on a guided basis generally follow a six or seven day walking day walking itinerary.
Tour operators that offer guided trips generally operate on the basis of scheduled departure dates during the walking season.
Generally, the guided tour operators utilise the available accommodation along the route. As the walk passes through some areas with limited accommodation, this means that the accommodation varies in type and standard. For most, this constitutes an attraction.
Typically, the package offered by the guided tour operators includes:
7-8 Day tour with a professional guide, 6-7 days of walking
7-8 Nights accommodation
All meals
Transfers between the trail and the accommodation (where applicable)
Assisted self-guided
Quite a number of tour operators offer the Great Glen Way as a self-guided trip.
Typically, the service includes:
Track notes, maps and information pack
Accommodation, usually with ensuites (the range and quantity of accommodation available in some villages is limited; also, the basic package offered by some tour operators might not always extend to ensuites)
Luggage transport between accommodation (and sometimes, where necessary, vehicle transfers between track and accommodation)
Breakfasts and optional packed lunches
24/7 Support
The duration of the self-guided options varies depending upon how far you wish to walk each day. The operators work on the basis that most walkers will set themselves a 6 - 8 walking day schedule, with at least one rest day inserted along the way. Most of them are flexible and are happy to tailor an itinerary.
Accommodation options range from comfortable through to luxury, again depending upon the size of the village or town and the purchased package.
Independent
There are some camping areas along the route that make camping on at least some nights a possibility. It’s also quite feasible to book accommodation along the route yourself and, if you require luggage transfers, to arrange that independently.
For those considering this option, it’s worth noting that the self-guided tour operators often have preferred rates with accommodation providers and luggage transfer companies. They also often have reserved allocations at the best-located/most suitable accommodation for the particular walk, so sometimes when accommodation shows no availability to an independent inquiry there’s still availability through a self-guided operator.
Also, be aware that the Great Glen is a popular destination for both local and overseas travellers, so during the holiday season it will usually be necessary to book accommodation well ahead of your visit.
Essential Information
Access
The starting point for the Great Glen Way is Fort William. The finishing point is Inverness.
Fort William and Inverness are easily reached by public transport. There are good train and bus connections linking Fort William and Inverness with Glasgow, Edinburgh and London.
Best time
The best time to do the walk is between April and October
Difficulty
This walk is rated at a difficulty level of moderate. The terrain is generally very good, mainly following well maintained tracks and paths often in forests, moorland and alongside the Caledonian Canal. The path is very well waymarked. Ascents are moderate.
The level of difficulty will be mainly determined by the distance which you choose to cover each day and the number of rest days.
Accommodation
There are many accommodation options at either end of the Great Glen Way (Fort William and Inverness) and, generally, plenty along the route. Accommodation options include camping, hostels, B&B’s, guesthouses, inns and hotels. There are some unique accommodation options in Fort William and Inverness which provide a highly memorable experience.
Many of the accommodation providers, particularly those near to the route, are attuned to walkers’ needs or offer amenities suited to walkers.
We can assist walkers in choosing the accommodation options which best suit their needs.
Dining
We can assist you in choosing some special dining options along the route.
Other activities
As a popular tourism destination, the Scottish Highlands offers many attractions in addition to the Great Glen Way.
Many walkers choose to add extra days to their trip so that they can explore these other attractions. Some will do that through rest days along the trail; others prefer ‘add-ons’ at the end of the walk. Some do both!
Fort William is a good base from which to climb Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Spectacular scenery can also be enjoyed aboard the Jacobite steam train which was used as the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films. The ruins of the thirteenth century Inverlochy Castle are another popular sight.
Fort Augustus is a pretty loch-side village from where you can visit the Caledonian Canal Centre or the Clansman Centre. Cruises on Loch Ness are also on offer and provide another perspective of the Great Glen.
Drumnadrochit is home to the famous ruins of Urquhart Castle overlooking Loch Ness. The Loch Ness Monster Exhibition has fascinating information about the geological formation of Loch Ness together with stories of the legendary Loch Ness sea monster.
The city of Inverness is the lively capital of the Highlands. From there you can visit the historic site of the Culloden Battlefield which put an end to the Jacobite uprisings.
We can assist walkers to explore the many attractions of the Scottish Highlands.
Assistance
We can assist walkers with various aspects of their walking holidays.