Caledonian Canal, Fort Augustus

Great Glen Way

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Overview

Route

What's Included?

Itineraries & Prices

Accommodation

Travel Info

Additional Days

Overview

Walking Holidays

6 - 8 Nights

73 miles / 117 km

Prices from: £745 per person
Start: Fort William, Highlands
Finish: Inverness, Highlands
Availability: Any start date from March to October
Grading: Moderate
Way-marked: Yes

Great Glen Way Highlights

Iconic route

Enjoy one of Scotland’s most famous long-distance walks and the wonderful camaraderie amongst walkers from all over the world.

Awe-inspiring scenery

Hike through deep glens, ancient forests and dramatic mountains and experience the stunning Scottish scenery.

Mystical lochs

Venture to mysterious Loch Ness to search for the Loch Ness Monster and enjoy a cruise on the loch from Fort Augustus.

Scottish castles

Visit the romantic ruins of 13th century Urquhart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness.

Historic waterways

Relax and unwind along Thomas Telford’s famous Caledonian Canal in the rugged valleys of the Great Glen.

'The Capital of the Highlands'

Explore cosmopolitan Inverness and visit nearby Culloden Battlefield to relive the last fateful day of the Jacobite risings.

A Stunning Walk Through the Scottish Highlands

The Great Glen Way stretches for 73 miles from Fort William to Inverness. This famous long-distance walking route traverses some of the most spectacular scenery in the Scottish Highlands, taking in stunning glens, dramatic mountains, and legendary lochs.

The trail begins near the foot of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain, and follows the Caledonian Canal along the shores of four spectacular lochs on its way to Inverness. The journey takes you past castles and forts that have witnessed some of the most famous scenes of Scotland’s turbulent history.

As you make your way north, the incredible panoramic views of the Highland hills are sure to take your breath away. The route mainly follows canal towpaths, forest tracks and roads as it takes you through to the bustling city of Inverness.

The Great Glen Way route is generally easier than the West Highland Way, although there are sections where the track climbs high above the shores of Loch Ness providing wonderful views below. The climb of Ben Nevis can make a wonderful addition to your trip by adding an additional night in Fort William.

Great Glen Way Route Map

Recommended Itinerary

Our most popular itinerary is GGW2 which covers the route in 6 days / 7 nights.

Travel to Fort William for your first night’s accommodation

Arrive in the bustling town of Fort William to spend the evening at your first night’s accommodation.

Day 1: Fort William to Gairlochy (10 miles / 16 km)

Leaving Fort William, the route passes a series of locks at Neptune’s Staircase and joins the Caledonian Canal. Walk along the canal tow-path to the tiny village of Gairlochy.

Day 2: Gairlochy to South Laggan (12.5 miles / 20 km)

From Gairlochy, the Great Glen Way continues to follow the western shores of Loch Lochy through woodland before crossing the canal to reach the small settlement of South Laggan.

Day 3: South Laggan to Fort Augustus (9.5 miles / 15 km)

Walk along the shores and the length of beautiful Loch Oich, possibly the most attractive of all the Great Glen lochs. Arrive at the southern end of Loch Ness for an overnight stop in the pretty village of Fort Augustus, from where you may wish to take a cruise on Loch Ness.

Day 4: Fort Augustus to Invermoriston (8 miles / 13 km)

The route continues up Glen Falloch along old military roads as the great peaks around A climb out of Fort Augustus provides wonderful views back over the village and across Loch Ness. The track continues to rise and fall above the Loch as it passes through woodland before dropping down to the village of Invermoriston.

Day 5: Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit (14 miles / 22 km)

After a steep climb out of Invermoriston the route joins a track through a forest high above Loch Ness. You are rewarded with some excellent views before descending into Drumnadrochit, close to Urquhart Castle.

Day 6: Drumnadrochit to Inverness (18 miles / 29 km)

On the final leg of your Great Glen Way walk the route heads away from Loch Ness across open moorland above Drumnadrochit. It passes through farmland and forests before descending to follow the River Ness into the bustling city of Inverness. The walk officially ends at Inverness Castle in the heart of the city.

Onward travel

After breakfast, you will start your journey home after a wonderful walking holiday on the Great Glen Way.

What's Included?

Your Great Glen Way walking holiday includes:

Carefully-selected accommodation along the route and trail transfers when applicable
En-suite or private bathroom facilities whenever possible
Daily door-to-door baggage transfers
Comprehensive information pack, kit list, guidebook and map (one set per room)
Personalised itinerary with details of your accommodation, route and recommendations for lunch and dinner
Traditional Scottish breakfast
Evening meal in Spean Bridge for Premium walkers
24-hour emergency contact number
Full financial protection

Your walking holiday doesn't include:

Travel insurance
Transport to and from the start and end of the walk
Lunches and evening meals (excluding Spean Bridge for Premium packages)

Itineraries & Prices

We offer 3 suggested itineraries for walking the Great Glen Way.

Our most popular itinerary is GGW2 which covers the route in 6 days.

Tour code

Itinerary

Average miles

Difficulty

Price per person

GGW1

5 Days / 6 Nights

14.5 miles per day

Moderate

From £745

Average miles : 14.5 miles per day

Tour code: GGW1

Difficulty : Moderate

5 Days / 6 Nights (GGW1)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying away from the trail.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk, and we would be delighted to adjust your package to suit your requirements.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers, and a comprehensive information pack.

Single room supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

Arrive Travel to Fort William for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Fort William to Gairlochy (overnight Spean Bridge) 10 miles / 16 km

Day 2 Gairlochy to South Laggan 12.5 miles / 20 km

Day 3 South Laggan to Invermoriston 19 miles / 31 km

Day 4 Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit 14 miles / 22 km

Day 5 Drumnadrochit to Inverness 18 miles / 29 km

Depart Onward travel from Inverness

Prices

Premium

Best available Guest Houses, Inns & Hotels

From £1005 per person

Carefully selected guest houses, inns and hotels throughout your walk, which will be the best available in each location. As premium accommodation is in short supply on this trail, please note that some establishments will be of a higher standard than others. En-suite facilities or private bathroom guaranteed.

Your package includes dinner at a 2 AA rosette restaurant in Spean Bridge.

Enquire Now

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £745 per person

Good quality and comfortable B&Bs, guest houses and some hotels located as close to the trail as possible. We will prioritise en-suite facilities or a private bathroom, although in remote areas with limited accommodation this may not always be possible.

Enquire Now

GGW2

6 Days / 7 Nights

12 miles per day

Moderate

From £875

Average miles : 12 miles per day

Tour code: GGW2

Difficulty : Moderate

6 Days / 7 Nights (GGW2)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying away from the trail.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk, and we would be delighted to adjust your package to suit your requirements.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers, and a comprehensive information pack.

Single room supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

Arrive Travel to Fort William for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Fort William to Gairlochy (overnight Spean Bridge) 10 miles / 16 km

Day 2 Gairlochy to South Laggan 12.5 miles / 20 km

Day 3 South Laggan to Fort Augustus 9.5 miles / 15 km

Day 4 Fort Augustus to Invermoriston 8 miles / 13 km

Day 5 Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit 14 miles / 22 km

Day 6 Drumnadrochit to Inverness 18 miles / 29 km

Depart Onward travel from Inverness

Prices

Premium

Best available Guest Houses, Inns & Hotels

From £1250 per person

Your package includes dinner at a 2 AA rosette restaurant in Spean Bridge.

Enquire Now

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £875 per person

Enquire Now

GGW3

7 Days / 8 Nights

10.5 miles per day

Moderate

From £985

Average miles : 10.5 miles per day

Tour code: GGW3

Difficulty : Moderate

7 Days / 8 Nights (GGW3)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying away from the trail.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk, and we would be delighted to adjust your package to suit your requirements.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers, and a comprehensive information pack.

Single room supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

There is also a solo walker supplement to cover the cost of a return taxi transfer between Abriachan and Drumnadrochit.

Arrive Travel to Fort William for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Fort William to Gairlochy (overnight Spean Bridge) 10 miles / 16 km

Day 2 Gairlochy to South Laggan 12.5 miles / 20 km

Day 3 South Laggan to Fort Augustus 9.5 miles / 15 km

Day 4 Fort Augustus to Invermoriston 8 miles / 13 km

Day 5 Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit 14 miles / 22 km

Day 6 Drumnadrochit to Abriachan (overnight Drumnadrochit) 7 miles / 11 km

Day 7 Abriachan to Inverness 11 miles / 18 km

Prices

Premium

Best available Guest Houses, Inns & Hotels

From £1420 per person

Your package includes dinner at a 2 AA rosette restaurant in Spean Bridge.

Enquire Now

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £985 per person

Enquire Now

Great Glen Way Accommodation

All of the accommodation that we reserve for you has been personally selected by our expert team to ensure it meets our exacting standards. We regularly review our extensive database.

We will always prioritise accommodation as close to the walking trail as possible. Occasionally, your accommodation may be located a short distance from the trail, or you may need to spend more than one night in the same place, in which case we will provide return transfers.

Travel Information

As an environmentally conscious tour operator, we actively encourage the use of public transport by providing clients with a detailed breakdown of travel options in their information packs. The following information may help with your pre-trip planning.

Getting to Fort William

By Air

Nearest Airport: Inverness Airport.

Nearest Major Airports: Edinburgh Airport and Glasgow International Airport.

All airports run regular public transport services to the city centres. From Glasgow, you can then directly travel to Fort William by train (journey time 3 hours 45 min). From Edinburgh, you can travel to Fort Wiliam by train via Glasgow (approximate journey time 4 – 5 hours). From Inverness, you can travel to Fort William by Citynlik Bus (journey time 2 hours).

By Public Transport

Nearest Railway Station: Fort William.

There are regular train services from Glasgow to Fort William (journey time 3 hours 45 min) and Edinburgh via Glasgow (journey time 4 – 5 hours). On an average weekday, there are 3 trains travelling from Glasgow to Fort William.

The Caledonian Sleeper travels from London Euston to Fort William overnight (journey time 12 hours).

There are also regular Citylink bus services from Inverness to Fort William (journey time 2 hours), Glasgow (journey time 3 hours) or Edinburgh (journey time 4 hours 30 min).

As the train and bus services can be very busy, we recommend booking your tickets in advance.

By Car

If you plan to travel by car, it may be possible to park at your accommodation in Fort William for the duration of your holiday. We can advise you about parking options when you make your enquiry.

Departing from Inverness

By Air

Nearest Airport: Inverness Airport.

Nearest Major Airports: Edinburgh Airport and Glasgow International Airport.

All airports run regular public transport services from the city centres. An airport shuttle bus operates from Inverness city centre to Inverness Airport (journey time 30 min).

From Inverness city centre, you can connect with train or bus services to Edinburgh or Glasgow. An airport shuttle bus and tram runs from Edinburgh city centre to the airport (journey time 30 min). An airport shuttle bus operates between Glasgow city centre and Glasgow International Airport (journey time 25 min).

By Public Transport

Nearest railway station: Inverness

There are regular train services from Inverness to Glasgow (journey time 3 hours 30 min), Edinburgh (journey time 3 hours 45 min).

The Caledonian Sleeper travels from Inverness to London Euston overnight (journey time 11 hours).

From Inverness, there are also regular Citylink bus services to Edinburgh and Glasgow (journey time 3 hours 30 min).

As the train and bus services can be very busy, we recommend booking your tickets in advance.

By Car

If you plan to travel by car, it may be possible to park in Inverness for the duration of your holiday. We can advise you about parking options when you make your enquiry.

Additional Days

We would be delighted to arrange additional accommodation for you along the Great Glen Way.

You may wish to plan a rest day or have an additional night at any of the locations along the route which offer activities or sightseeing opportunities – we’ve made some suggestions below. Please request this when you make an enquiry.

Fort William

Climb Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain
Enjoy a spectacular scenic journey on the Jacobite Steam Train, famous as the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films
Visit the historic 13th-century ruins of Old Inverlochy Castle
Take a guided tour of Ben Nevis Distillery, one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, and enjoy a complimentary tasting

Fort Augustus

Spend a day in this pretty loch-side village, visit the Caledonian Canal Centre, and take a cruise on Loch Ness
Hire some golf clubs and play a round at the historic 9 hole course
Visit the local Clansman Centre and take a step back into history

Drumnadrochit

Discover picturesque Urquhart Castle, one of the most photographed ruins in the country
Visit the Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition which explores the geological formation of Loch Ness and its legendary monster
Take an award-winning boat cruise and relish impressive views of the Great Glen

Inverness

Explore the ‘Capital of the Highlands’
Visit Culloden Battlefield and relive the last fateful day of the Jacobite risings
Tour the world-famous Malt Whisky Trail, set nearby in beautiful Moray Speyside
Enjoy a day trip to the Orkney Isles or the Isle of Skye
Hire a car and explore the rest of Scotland

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For more than 20 years, we’ve been weaving together unforgettable walking holidays amidst the enchanting landscapes of the British Isles. Dive deeper into how they work in our comprehensive guide. Read more

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