Hiking the Great Glen Way – what you need to know!

Walking and Hiking in the Scottish Highlands

Most people have heard of Scotland’s oldest and most popular long-distance route, the West Highland Way stretching 96 miles from Milngavie, just north of Glasgow to Fort William here in the West Highlands, but far fewer have heard of its little sister and Hiking the Great Glen Way, which continues a further 79 miles northeast from Fort William to Inverness, is a joy!

Did you know that each year a third of our guests stay with us at Distant Hills Guest House as part of a multi-day long distance walk along the Great Glen Way! In fact, a small percentage of our Great Glen Way guests stay with us having just completed the West Highland Way too! How about that for a challenge! So, what is the Great Glen Way and could it be something for you?

History of the Great Glen

The Great Glen, which is visible from space, was formed over 10,000 years ago by glaciers eroding a huge valley through the Scottish Highlands. The glaciers scoured the earth below current day sea level, which formed a series of deep lakes, the largest of which is Loch Ness.

In 2002, the Great Glen Way was opened as an established long-distance route for hikers, cyclists and canoeists. The path provides a wonderful mixture of minimal urban territory, canal tow paths, woodland paths, more open tracks and occasional sections of road above or alongside the various lochs and rivers that make up the Great Glen. The route is very easy to follow signposted with frequent blue Way marker posts.

How difficult is it?

The Great Glen Way is ideal for anyone new to long-distance/ multi-day hiking. It is both shorter and less arduous than the more popular West Highland Way for example. As well as the 79-mile route being well signposted and easy to navigate, it is also relatively low-level. Some sections of the route offer lower and higher options to cater for different fitness levels and abilities. If you can, and the weather is good, we would always recommend taking the higher route option as you will be rewarded with the most magnificent views. From the higher route between Fort Augustus and Invermoriston for example, you can just about see the whole length of the Great Glen on a clear day and can even spot Ben Nevis towering in the far distance!

How long does hiking the Great Glen Way take?

Most people take between 4 and 7 days to hike the Great Glen Way overnighting in various communities along the way. A typical itinerary would be:

• Day 1: Fort William to Gairlochy/Spean Bridge (13.5 miles)
• Day 2: Gairlochy/Spean Bridge to Laggan (12 miles)
• Day 3: Laggan to Fort Augustus (10.5 miles)
• Day 4: Fort Augustus to Invermoriston (8 miles)
• Day 5: Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit (14.5 miles)
• Day 6: Drumnadrochit to Inverness (20 miles)

Note: The route can be completed in reverse also. Fewer people choose this way but it is an option.

Key Highlights on along the Trail

As well as miles and miles of breath-taking scenery, there are several other interesting features that you will see enroute. There are a couple of additional ones if you are willing to take a short diversion for maximum value!

• Ben Nevis – Ben Nevis is the UK’s highest mountain at 1345m. Providing it’s a clear day, you will get fantastic views of this iconic mountain as you walk from Fort William to Gairlochy. Some hikers build in an extra day to their trip to climb the mountain a day or two before setting out along the Great Glen Way.
• Corpach Shipwreck – the Corpach shipwreck is a rusting fishing vessel which ran aground following a storm in 2011. You can take a slight detour from the path as you pass through Caol to take a closer look as well as the obligatory photograph.
• Neptune’s Staircase – Neptune’s Staircase at Banavie is the Britain’s longest staircase lock consisting of 8 locks and can take boats around 90 minutes to pass through the whole system. If you’re lucky, you will get to watch the locks in action.
• Caledonian Canal – You will walk along sections of the Caledonian Canal, significantly from Banavie to Gairlochy on day 1. The Caledonian Canal was built in the early nineteenth century by Scottish engineer Thomas Telford and connects the Scottish east coast at Inverness to the Scottish west coast at Corpach near Fort William.
• Commando Memorial – you will pass the Commando Memorial only if you are staying in Spean Bridge. It’s an impressive bronze statue of three Commandos looking towards the Grey Corries and Nevis Mountain Range commemorating Allied Commandos who served in WWII and in conflicts since. The panoramic view is well worth the visit alone.
• Chia Aig Waterfall – visiting this beautiful waterfall will take you a mile off your route, but if you like a pretty waterfall, this is a must. Known to locals as the Witches’ Cauldron, this waterfall features in the film ‘Rob Roy’ starring Liam Neeson.
• Loch Lochy – Loch Lochy is a large freshwater loch and very popular with locals for swimming and paddleboarding. If wild swimming is your thing, be sure to pack your costume and take advantage of the ‘fresh’ water and stunning backdrops. There are various entry points to the shore just off the path. It’s our favourite place to swim!
• Fort Augustus – the small Highland town of Fort Augustus is very popular with tourists as it sits at the head of Loch Ness. There is a selection of cafes and gift shops to enjoy here, as well as another of Thomas Telford’s lock systems and the former Fort Augustus Abbey, which now comprises of private residences.
• Loch Ness – Loch Ness is the UK’s largest body of water. Did you know, there is more water in Loch Ness than in all the lakes in the whole of England and Wales! It’s also world-famous for its mythical monster. If you happen to spot ‘Nessie’, please let us know!
• Summer House at Invermoriston – Invermoriston is a very small place but there is a super quaint spot just off the main A82 road that you really should stop and see. Built by a former laird of Glenmoriston, the romantic Victorian folly that is known as the ‘summer house’, was designed to shelter house guests as they watched the salmon migrating up the River Moriston. If you stand in the summer house and look out towards the main road, you will also see two bridges and the Invermoriston Falls. It’s a beautiful spot for photography.
• Urquart Castle – situated on the shore of Loch Ness at Drumnadrochit, this magnificent, ruined castle is one of the top tourist attractions in the Scottish Highlands and takes just a short detour. This medieval fortress played a key role for over 500 years in the Wars of Independence between the Scots and the English and is a must if you want to learn more about Scottish history.

Accommodation along the way

Most people hiking the Great Glen Way choose to stay in a mixture of hotel, guest house and bed and breakfast accommodation. There is very little accommodation in Gairlochy, which is why we get so many Great Glen Way hikers staying with us at Distant Hills Guest House in Spean Bridge. Like other accommodation providers in the village, we provide a shuttle service from/to Gairlochy to save hikers an extra 3 miles on their first and second days. There is a wide range of accommodation along the route to suit all tastes and pockets. We recommend booking your accommodation as far ahead as possible to avoid disappointment. This can also be said for booking restaurants in the evening!

There are also a number of campsites and wild camping spots along the way. If you are considering this option, we recommend following ‘Great Glen Way Walk’ on Facebook. This is a public group and people often share their photos and experiences and give hints and tips on good places to stay/camp.

Self-organise versus a Travel Agent

Hiking the Great Glen Way is pretty straightforward to plan and organise yourself and is likely to be the most cost-effective option, especially if you are travelling with a companion and willing to share a room. It can take time, however, and get frustrating when accommodation becomes limited and/or fully booked. Booking your accommodation separately also means several accommodation bookings, multiple contacts, emails and payments which can become challenging to stay on top of.

The benefits of using a travel agent are that they do all the work on your behalf and will place you in the best accommodations according to your budget. They will also arrange luggage transfer and provide you with excellent maps and route notes, as well as a 24-hour helpline should you incur any incident. It is likely to cost you a little bit more, but we think the time-saved and service provided is well worth the extra money.

Should you wish to use a travel agent for hiking the Great Glen Way, we highly recommend Macs Adventure and Mickledore.

If you are booking your own luggage transfers, we recommend Loch Ness Travel and Piggyback Baggage Transfers.

Best time of year for hiking the Great Glen Way?

The trail is open all year round; however, the limiting factor is accommodation. For optimum weather conditions and accommodation choices, we recommend hiking the Great Glen Way April – September.

Photo Credits: Thank you to Theresa Mörtl for her fabulous photos of Hiking The Great Glen Way – More photos from Theresa’s many travels can be found on Instagram here.

Other Walking Holiday Options

We are not just a guest house, we also run our own Distant Hills Walking Holidays which are fully guided, all-inclusive walking holidays available in April and October. Our packages consist of 6 nights accommodation in our stylish and cosy Distant Hills Guest House with hot tub, 4 days of guided day hikes in the breath-taking region of Lochaber here in the heart of the Scottish Highlands and all meals except lunch and evening meal on your ‘free day’. We offer two levels of hillwalking itinerary, moderate and harder level. For more information, visit Distant Hills Walking Holidays.