Great Glen Way
A self-guided trek of the Great Glen Trail crossing from west to east along the natural vault line that divides the Highlands, visiting castles, old forts and searching for the Loch Ness Monster
The Great Glen Way is one of Scotland's great trails and splits the country in two. Running from Fort William in the west to Inverness in the east it is a natural fault line which once extended to America. Later it was carved out by the great ice sheets that once covered Scotland, leaving the trail of lochs we have today. The route follows these lochs and the network of canals that were built at the turn of the 1800's making a wonderful multi-day trek.
The route involves 117km (79 miles) of walking across the heart of the Highlands following by a network of canal paths and tracks. Starting in Fort William under the shadow of Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain, you trek will passed historic castles, old forts and beautiful lochs as you make your way to Inverness the capital of the Highlands.
You could spend extra days in Fort William for a distillery tour, climb Ben Nevis or for a journey on the Jacobite steam train to the pretty fishing port of Mallaig. An extra day in lovely Inverness will give you an opportunity to visit Culloden Battlefield and Cawdor Castle.
Highlights
- Stunning Loch Ness and Urquart Castle
- High & Low level walking options
- Visit historical locks in Fort Augustus and Fort William
At a Glance
From £540 per person (8 days / 7 nights)
Single room supplement: £40 per night
| Grade | Moderate |
| Accommodation | Mixture of quality B&B's & Guesthouses |
| Duration | 8 Days |
| Location | Mainland Scotland |
| Start | Fort William (or Inverness) |
| Finish | Inverness (or Fort William) |
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Route Map
Book your Trip
At a Glance
From £540 per person (8 days / 7 nights)
Single room supplement: £40 per night
| Grade | Moderate |
| Accommodation | Mixture of quality B&B's & Guesthouses |
| Duration | 8 Days |
| Location | Mainland Scotland |
| Start | Fort William (or Inverness) |
| Finish | Inverness (or Fort William) |
Itinerary
Please find below the day-to-day schedule for our most popular 8 day (7 night) walking trek. Different options are bookable online.
Day 1 – Fort William
Arrival in Fort William. The best and most scenic way to travel from Glasgow or Edinburgh to Fort William is by train. Why not stay an extra night to visit the Ben Nevis distillery or to climb Ben Nevis.
Day 2 – Gairlochy (overnight in Spean Bridge)
Walk out of the town, via Corpach, the start of the Caledonian Canal and Neptune’s Staircase, an impressive series of locks, follow canal towpath to Gairlochy. Level walking all the way, lovely views as you enter Gairlochy.
| 16km
Day 3 – South Laggan
A short while after Gairlochy you will have the opportunity to visit the Clan Cameron Museum to immerse yourself in the fascinating history of this area. A forest track follows the shores of lovely Loch Lochy most of the day. Level walking, with two short steep ascents.
| 21km
Day 4 – Fort Augustus
This day you walk alongside peaceful & stunning Loch Oich, through mixed woodland on the banks of the loch. Halfway the route follows the towpath along the Caledonian Canal and onwards to the pretty village of Fort Augustus. Level walking all the way.
| 16km
Day 5 – Invermoriston
You cross to the north side of the Great Glen and follow a forest track, which climbs up and then down again to the small village of Invermoriston.
| 13km, 250m ascent
Day 6 – Drumnadrochit
Most of today you are walking on forest treks, high above Loch Ness. Stunning views of the Loch and hills behind it. Drumnadrochit is the centre of the Loch Ness monster story and also the site of Urquhart Castle. Mainly level walking, with some steep ascents/decents. Height gain 400m.
| 22km, 400m ascent
Day 7 – Inverness
A varied day’s walk taking in a mixture of farmland, moorland and woodland. Quite a steep start of the day, then mainly easy/moderate walking into Inverness alongside the River Ness. You will finish at Inverness Castle.
| 29km
Day 8
The trip package finishes after another filling breakfast. You can travel back by train or plane, or maybe explore the Highlands a bit longer.
What's Included
Included:
- A mixture of quality, hand-picked B&B and guesthouse accommodation
- Full Scottish Breakfast
- Door-to-door luggage transfers
- Detailed guide book & map
Excluded:
- Travel to Fort William and from Inverness
- Lunch, dinners and drinks
- Holiday Insurance
Images from the Holiday
Book your Great Glen Way
- Historical route visiting old castles and forts
- Walk along the 8 locks of Neptune's Staircase
- Experience famous Loch Ness
- Optional Cruise on Loch Ness
- A mixture of quality, hand-picked B&B and guesthouse accommodation
- Full Scottish Breakfast
- Door-to-door luggage transfers
- Detailed guide book & map
- A mixture of quality, hand-picked B&B and guesthouse accommodation
- Full Scottish Breakfast
- Door-to-door luggage transfers
- Detailed guide book & map
- Travel to Fort William and from Inverness
- Lunch, dinners and drinks
- Holiday Insurance
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