Great Glen Way hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Great Glen Way is one of Scotland's Great Trails. It runs for 79 miles (127 km, by the official count) from the Old Fort in Fort William, at the foot of Ben Nevis, to Inverness Castle, crossing the Highlands from the west coast to the east along the Great Glen, a huge geological fault that splits Scotland in two. The route follows the towpaths of Thomas Telford's Caledonian Canal and forest tracks above three long lochs: Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and Loch Ness. It is waymarked all the way, and most people walk it from south-west to north-east, with the prevailing wind at their backs.

Fort William is also where the West Highland Way ends, so many walkers carry straight on: the West Highland Way finishes in Gordon Square, a few minutes' walk from the Great Glen Way start at the Old Fort. Together they make a walk of about 280 km from Milngavie, near Glasgow, to Inverness.

The route

The first day is flat: along Loch Linnhe to Corpach, up Neptune's Staircase, a flight of eight locks at Banavie, and along the canal towpath, with views back to Ben Nevis, to Gairlochy. From there quiet roads and forest tracks run along the north-west shore of Loch Lochy to Laggan Locks and South Laggan. The third day follows the canal and the old railway line along the south-east shore of Loch Oich, past Leitirfearn and Aberchalder, then the towpath to Fort Augustus, where five locks step down to Loch Ness.

After Fort Augustus the trail climbs into the forests above the north-west shore of Loch Ness, to Invermoriston and then, with long views over the loch, to Drumnadrochit near Urquhart Castle. The last day climbs out of Drumnadrochit through farmland and the community woods at Abriachan, reaches the highest point of the low route at about 380 m, and crosses moorland and forest at Blackfold before descending to the canal and the River Ness into Inverness.

This guide follows the official stage plan and splits the route into 6 stages, about 20.0 km each, with nights at Gairlochy, South Laggan, Fort Augustus, Invermoriston and Drumnadrochit. The line follows the original low route as mapped on OpenStreetMap and measures about 120 km. Between Fort Augustus and Drumnadrochit there are two high routes, opened in 2014, with bigger views over Loch Ness and more climbing: Fort Augustus to Invermoriston is about the same length but harder, and Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit is a little shorter but reaches 422 m, the highest point of the whole trail.

When to walk the Great Glen Way

The trail is open all year. The best months are May, June and September, with long days and fewer midges than in high summer. July and August are the busiest and the worst for midges and ticks. From October to March many campsites, the Eagle Barge at Laggan Locks and some B&Bs close and the days are short. Rain and wind are possible in any month.

How many days do you need?

Most walkers take five to seven days. The stages here range from about 12 to 31 km. Fort Augustus to Invermoriston is short, so fit walkers combine it with the next day or walk on to Alltsigh, where the official six- and seven-day plans stop. The last stage, Drumnadrochit to Inverness, is the longest; you can split it at Abriachan, where there are camping pods. A rest day in Fort Augustus or Drumnadrochit leaves time for a Loch Ness boat trip or Urquhart Castle.

Getting there and away

Fort William has trains on the West Highland Line from Glasgow and the Caledonian Sleeper from London, and Scottish Citylink coaches from Glasgow and Inverness. Inverness has trains to the south, coaches and an airport. The Citylink 919 bus runs along the A82 between Fort William and Inverness several times a day, via Spean Bridge, Invergarry, Fort Augustus, Invermoriston, Alltsigh and Drumnadrochit. Gairlochy has no bus; the nearest is on the A82 at Spean Bridge, about 4 km away.

Sleeping, eating and booking

You sleep in hostels, B&Bs, guest houses, hotels and campsites in the towns and villages, plus a few simple Trailblazer rest sites (free, no booking) by the lochs. Beds are few at Gairlochy and South Laggan: if they are full, stay in Spean Bridge or Invergarry, a short taxi ride or the Invergarry Link away. Book ahead from April to September; several companies carry bags between overnight stops. There are shops in Fort William, Fort Augustus, Drumnadrochit and Inverness, a small shop and café at Invermoriston, but nothing between Gairlochy and South Laggan or on the last day until Inverness, so carry lunch and water.

Wild camping is legal in Scotland under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, but not on the banks of the Caledonian Canal, which is a scheduled monument: use the small canal camping areas (Gairlochy, Laggan Locks, Kytra) or the Trailblazer sites, and always have a plan B. Canal toilets and showers need a Scottish Canals key (£10 per person, from the Corpach or Inverness offices).

Money and phone signal

Cards are accepted almost everywhere; carry some cash for small B&Bs and honesty boxes. There are cash machines in Fort William, Drumnadrochit and Inverness. Mobile signal is good in the villages but weak in parts of the forests and on the high routes, so download maps first.

Difficulty

The Great Glen Way is a moderate walk. The first three days are almost flat. From Fort Augustus forest tracks climb several hundred metres above Loch Ness, and the high routes have short, very steep sections. Most of the surface is firm gravel or tarmac, so cushioned shoes and blister care matter more than technical skill. The low route used here adds up to about 1,700 m of climbing.

What to pack

Waterproofs, warm layers, broken-in boots or trail shoes, blister plasters, midge repellent and a head net (May to September), a tick remover, sun cream, water and snacks for the forest sections, an offline map, a power bank and some cash. Campers need a stove, a water filter and a trowel.

Safety

The main risks are blisters, falls on wet roots, traffic on the road sections, cold rain and ticks. Keep back from lock edges and do not swim in the canal; Loch Ness is deep and cold all year. In an emergency call 999 or 112: ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue, if you are lost or hurt on the trail, or the Coastguard for anyone in trouble on Loch Ness. For urgent medical advice that is not an emergency, call NHS 24 on 111. The nearest emergency departments are Belford Hospital in Fort William and Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.

History

Glaciers deepened the Great Glen along its fault line and left the chain of lochs. In the 18th century the government held the Highlands with forts at Fort William, Fort Augustus and Inverness, linked by General Wade's military road. Thomas Telford built the Caledonian Canal between 1803 and 1822 to join the lochs coast to coast, and boats still use it. The Great Glen Way opened in 2002.