This 3 day, 3 night off-road cycling adventure follows one of Scotland’s Great Trails, The Great Glen Way. Covering 74 miles (120km) of Scottish Highlands, starting (or ending) in Fort William, home to Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Stretching from coast to coast across the Highlands, this magnificent route passes through some of the most stunning scenery, including Loch Lochy and Loch Oich. You will make your way along the towpath of the Caledonian Canal, built by Thomas Telford before finishing in Inverness, the capital of the Highlands.
Our itinerary covers the full trail from South to North, over 3 cycling days, but we also offer the opportunity to create your own itinerary over a duration/distance that suits you, staying overnight in the various accommodations in the Great Glen.
Map and guidebook plus detailed directions to your accommodation from the trail
GPX files
Expert local knowledge and 24 hour emergency assistance during your trip
74 miles (120km) and 5904ft (1800m) of ascent
Coast to Coast through the Scottish Highlands
About & Details
The town of Fort William sits on the edge of Loch Eil and is overlooked by Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK. It is at the western end of the geographical fault line, known as the Great Glen. At the eastern end is the capital of the Highlands, Inverness. The Great Glen Way cycle route is along roads, forest tracks and canal towpaths, offering amazing views of some of the best Scottish scenery.
We take the stress out of your trip with expert local knowledge, hand-picked accommodation, luggage transfers and detailed support to help you find your way. You will need a proficient bike that is capable riding off road as well as full cycling kit. You will receive a more detailed kit list upon booking. This trip is based on 2 people sharing, so if you are a solo traveller, please contact us for further details and we will be happy to help.
Inclusions
3 nights’ accommodation in a good quality B&B or hotel with ensuite or private bathroom and breakfast
Luggage transfers each cycling day
Map and guide book plus detailed directions to your accommodation from the trail
GPX files
Expert local knowledge and 24 hour emergency assistance during your trip
Professional event organisation
Exclusions
Travel to the start and finish points of the trip
Lunches and evening meals
Personal insurance (for cancellation, accident, health, emergency evacuation and loss, theft of or damage to baggage and personal effects)
Bike & bike equipment
Guiding (please contact us if you would like this trip to be guided)
Optional extras
Single room supplement £90 per person per night (subject to availability)
Solo traveller supplement £90 per person per night
Odd number group supplement £90 per group per night may apply if a single room is required
Extra night prior to start (single room) £180 per person
Extra night prior to the start (twin room, needs 2 people) £95 per person
Extra night at the end of the event (single room) £180 per person
Extra night at the end of the event (twin room, needs 2 people) £95 per person
Please select from Optional Extras at checkout.
Getting there and back
By Road Heading north: M6 and A74/M74 to travel north to Glasgow, skirting the city on the M8 before following the A82 north to Fort William. Alternatively, use the A1 to reach Edinburgh and cross the Forth Road Bridge, then follow the M90 and A9 north to Inverness, the longest road in Scotland!
Public Transport Fort William & Inverness are both accessible via Glasgow and Edinburgh. Check traveline.info for the latest public transport information.From Glasgow or Edinburgh catch the ‘CityLink’ bus to Fort William and return from Inverness.
Air Glasgow and Edinburgh are the closest major International Airports to Fort William and Inverness.
Evening meals and lunches
You can purchase evening meals either at the accommodation or nearby. When you receive your itinerary from your event planner you could prearrange directly with the accommodation or during the walk.
For lunches we would suggest bringing some of your own favourite snack bars and then asking the accommodation for a packed lunch for the following day. You can also pick up food along the route.
Accommodation
Accommodation is generally at B&B, guest houses and small hotels. Once booked in, your event planner will send you a list of your booked accommodation. It is possible to adjust according to preference at this stage so please mention it if you wish to change.
After you book
After placing your booking with us, you will in the first instance receive an automated email from our system confirming receipt of your reservation. If you don’t receive it, it is worth checking your spam/clutter folder.
In the process of placing your booking, you will generally set up an access password to our online gateway where you can review the details of the booking.
Your personal event planner will then be in touch with you to start to confirm the details. This contact will usually be taken up in the working day after receipt of your booking, but may, in busy times, take a little longer. The event planner will then liaise with you regarding the details your trip. If you have any specific requirements, please do mention it at this stage.
At the end of your trip
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end at some point and when you arrive at the end of the trail, you have one of several options. If you have not booked an additional night’s stay then we can transfer your luggage to a location of your choice. From there you may have onward travel arranged as per the ‘Getting There and Back’ tab above.
Some people like to treat themselves to a night’s stay at the end. And why not? You’ve earned it. You can arrange this as an optional add on with your event planner.
Dates and prices
For available dates please see the ‘book now’ option on the left hand side on desktops or at the bottom on mobiles. You can reserve your space via this route.
Arrive at your accommodation in Fort William, the gateway to the Highlands and the home of Ben Nevis.
Day 2 - Fort William to Invergarry
The start of your trip takes the road and cycle path from Fort William to Banavie, before heading onto the Caledonian Canal towpath, past the well-known Neptune’s Staircase to Gairlochy. The next section to Clunes is along a narrow road, beside Loch Lochy. At Clunes, you venture onto a forest track beside the loch before it becomes a road as you reach the end of the loch. Follow the well-marked undulating cycleway along Loch Oich to Invergarry.
44km (27 miles), 284m (932ft) of ascent
Day 3 - Invergarry to Drumnadrochit
This morning, your route starts with a steep climb from Invergarry along a purpose-built cycle path before becoming a forest road which takes you along Loch Oich to another purpose-built cycle path to the Bridge of Oich. Today’s route is very hilly until you re-join the canal towpath at Bridge of Oich which takes you into Fort Augustus where the canal meets Loch Ness. Cycling from Fort Augustus is along hilly forest tracks to Invermoriston. From Invermoriston there is a very steep climb on a tarmacked road before re-joining the forest trails along Loch Ness. There are some good views to be had across the loch. This is a long stretch through the forest but shortly after the Youth Hostel, arrive at another tarmacked road that will take you into Drumnadrochit.
49km (30 miles), 681m (2235ft) of ascent
Day 4 - Drumnadrochit to Inverness
Your last day will see a shorter cycling day. Stock up on food and drink supplies, as there will not be any shops between Drumnadrochit and Inverness.
From Drumnadrochit, you will take the A831 and A833, climbing very steeply. After about 6.5 miles, you turn right onto a minor road before once again travelling along a mix of roads and forest trails. From Blackfold you descend steeply back to the A82 into Inverness and the end of your journey.
31km (19 miles), 453m (1486ft) of ascent
Notes:
This itinerary is a guide only. It can be subject to change dependent upon viability, course members’ fitness, weather conditions, accommodation availability, or for any other reason that may be deemed necessary. Any timings and mileages are approximate and for guidance purpose only.
We will always endeavour to accommodate you in the locations detailed in the above itinerary. Due to very high demand, some accommodation providers may occasionally have limited availability and so we may need to accommodate you in an alternative location, nearby. In this case, we will arrange a taxi transfer for you to take you from the trail to your accommodation and back again the following morning. An additional charge may be payable. We will notify you of this when confirming your booking
The Route
Reviews
Find some of the reviews our wonderful customers have left for us below, or read them all here!
Maximum Adventure exceeded expectations, planning a trip for me last minute and off season through the glorious Lake District. The hotels were top rate, as was the food and my daily gluten free sandwich. Nathalie got the route guide sent to me in a couple of days and the baggage service was impeccable. It was the only tour guide company that responded immediately to my last minute request. Looking forward to more adventures with your company!!!
David and I walked the Speyside Way in September 2023 and very much enjoyed the adventure. Maximum Adventure Ltd organised our nightly accommodation and uplifting of our luggage in a seamless manner, which made the whole trip so easy with no stress. This is the second time that I have personally used Maximum Adventures Ltd and I would recommend them to others as they offer a friendly and efficient service.
We realy appreciated the tour we did on Hadrians Wall path in May.Beautiful scenery, decent weather, god arrangements including lodging, transport, bagagehandling etc. We came well prepared . In this preparation Maximum adventures gave us great support, as we are coming from abroad with no knowledge of conditions on the path. We had great BnBs and could concentrate on de daily walks that gave us great pleasure.Thank you England and Hadrians Wall path for your friendly reception and well mantained walking path.Thank you Maximum Adventures for your good service.We would love to come back in the future.
Maximum Adventure did a great job for us. With less than a month's notice, it set up an itinerary, lodging and luggage porterage for a walk from Carlisle to Newcastle, England along Hadrian's Wall. The lodging was fantastic, as was the itinerary and support during the walk. We'd definitely use Maximum Adventure again and would recommend them without reservation!
I was part of a climb on 23/09, didn't think I would make ut, but I did. The descent was a different story.. I got jelly legs and lost my confidence. If it wasn't for James, my Sherpa would never have made it. Can't thank him enough, Will, met you briefly.Both of them were very knowledgeable, we had the most amazing views at the summit...the pain is still worth it and
I walked the West Highland Way with my dad and brother. The organisation was excellent by Samantha. Itinerary and instructions were clear and all the bookings and luggage transfers went smoothly. As a result we were able to ensure the fantastic walk and not worry about anything. I would happily recommend Maximum Adventure to others.
Absolutely brilliant guide - knowledgeable, interesting and humorous in addition to looking after our safety so well - making sure we ate and suggesting when to layer up! Would highly recommend!
We just got home from our 8-days Hadrian's Wall hike and we just loved it!Everything was perfectly organized!We had great B&Bs and hotels with very friendly, welcoming and helpful staff. Our favorite was the Dacre House with Clare. But then again, all were great!The luggage was always at the day's destination, no matter how early we got to the accommodation.The description of how to get to the accommodations were clear and precise.The road map and the guide book were waiting for us as we got to the first B&B and were very helpful and interestingThanks, Maximum Adventure!
Booked for the 3 UK Peaks adventure, it was organised perfectly and everything when to plan. Accommodation was good, transport excellent, our guide (Patrick) brilliant, so cannot fault the trip and adventure. I personally expected too much from myself and was unable to fully summit as this adventure is not for beginners, I climbed Kilimanjaro in 2003 when I was 42 and twenty years later, although relatively fit, my endurance didn't last. So I did a half summit for Ben Nevis & Scafell, thanks to Patrick for letting go back down on my own, it was brilliant. With Snowdon, a half summit is tricky as you can't descend the way you go up, so I decided to do some hiking in the area while the rest of the group did the climb. I took a chance and went to the ticket office and managed to get a single return ticket up to the summit of Snowdon at 9am which returned down by 11.30am. I was hoping to see my group on top and spring a surprise but the weather was terrible. I highly recommend the trip but make sure you are fit enough otherwise as there is an emphasis on time, so a slow walk up is going to slow everyone down and really delay the trip. Have Fun, Simon Bradish
Why book with us
We know you have a choice of companies providing trips for your next adventures. Here are some of the reasons you should choose to travel with Maximum Adventure:
We are an established adventure travel business
We have been trading since 2002
We are financially protected in accordance with the 1992 travel regulation
Knowledgeable and available office staff
Qualified leaders and guides with ascents ranging from Ben Nevis to Mount Everest
All activities are risk assessed
We will provide you with the best service available
We are aware this is your holiday/your challenge and will do our best to make it an enjoyable and rewarding experience
We have many repeat clients stretching back over a number of years
20+ years adventure organisation experience
Full liability & financial protection
Leading provider of high quality adventure challenges
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