One of Scotland’s Great Trails, The Great Glen Way covers 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, 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 suggested itinerary below covers the full trail from South to North, over 6 walking days, but we can also offer a flexible, create your own itinerary over a duration/distance that suits you, staying overnight in the various accommodation in the Great Glen.
Map and guide book plus detailed directions to your accommodation from the trail
Expert local knowledge and 24 hour emergency assistance during your trip
74 miles (120km) and 5904ft (1800m) of ascent (low level options)
Coast to Coast through the Scottish Highlands
About & Details
The Great Glen Way enjoys a variety of walking terrain, following canal towpaths, forest tracks and roads, on well maintained tracks and paths with excellent signposting along the way. The Great Glen Way is a low-level yet challenging long distance route, suitable for all level of walkers from the more experienced to those new to walking holidays.
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 full walking kit including a waterproof jacket and trousers, a small day sack and comfortable walking boots. 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
6 nights’ accommodation in a good quality B&B or hotel with ensuite or private bathroom and breakfast
Luggage transfers each walking day
Map and guide book plus detailed directions to your accommodation from the trail
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)
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 group number 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 our event planners send you the schedule with itinerary 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 and also supplementing that at stops en-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.
Dog-friendly
If you would like to bring your four legged friend, then we will do our best to source dog friendly accommodation. It is usually possible but if it were not, then we would suggest a change of date to enable it or offer a refund. There may be a small surcharge for the overnight stays. Therefore, once booked in, please alert your event planner that you would like to bring your dog and we can proceed from there.
Need a guide?
If you would prefer to have a guide for your walk, even just for one day, then we are happy to help. We can provide a qualified leader (also first aid qualified) to lead your trek or on just one of the sections. Just ask us. A guide can not only take the stress out of navigation, but you will also find them a great asset in terms of providing an insight into all things environment and nature.
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 of the course. 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 ‘build your trip’ 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 Gairlochy
The first section of the Great Glen Way starts in Fort William and follows paths and roads through the suburbs before joining the Caledonian Canal towpath; today’s walk is mostly flat with great views of the surrounding mountains.
11miles (17km) and 130ft (40m) of ascent.
Day 3 - Gairlochy to South Laggan
Today’s walk runs close to the northern shore of Loch Lochy; the route follows the minor road round the south western end of the loch, dropping down to the lochside on footpaths for a couple of miles before re-joining the road near the settlement of Achnacarry. At the village of Clunes, the route leaves the road to follow forest tracks for the rest of the length of the loch. A short section of minor road takes you to the canal lock gates at South Laggan, where this section ends.
12 miles (19km) and 1080ft (330m) of ascent.
Day 4 - South Laggan to Fort Augustus
Starting with an easy stroll alongside the Caledonian Canal, the walls of the Great Glen rise closer to hand and there are often views of high mountains beyond. Today’s section of the Great Glen Way is one of the finest. Two beautiful sections of the Caledonian Canal sandwich the lovely walk along the wild side of Loch Oich with its magnificent natural woodlands.
11 miles (18km) and 100ft (30m) of ascent.
Day 5 - Fort Augustus to Invermoriston
Today you have two options for walking to Invermoriston – you can choose between the low-level or high-level routes from Fort Augustus. The high-level route climbs above the forested northern slopes of Loch Ness, allowing far more expansive views than are gained from the gentler low-level route.
8 miles (12km) and 1840ft (560m) of ascent (high-level)/985ft (300m) low-level.
Day 6 - Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit
You have two choices again today, taking the high-level or low-level route to Drumnadrochit. There is an option to switch to the low-level route by walking down a forest track to Alltsigh, otherwise keep climbing to reach the highest point on the Great Glen Way on the slopes of Creag Dhearg. The high-level and low-level routes are reunited shortly afterwards, and both feature good views of Loch Ness.
14 miles (23km) and 2330ft (710m) of ascent.
Day 7 - Drumnadrochit to Inverness
Today is the longest day’s walk, and a high point is crossed around 380m (1245ft) in the Abriachan Forest. Your final leg of your walk heads away from Loch Ness across open moorland above Drumnadrochit. It passes through farmland and forests before descending to follow the River Ness and into Inverness, ‘the capital of the Highlands’.
19 miles (31 km) and 1640ft (500m) 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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