Great Glen Way & Loch Ness

The Great Glen Way is one of Scotland’s gentler long-distance hikes. If you hike regularly or lead an active lifestyle, you’ll be well prepared to enjoy it. Before your trip, we recommend getting out on regular hikes and working some hills into your routine. Be sure to check the daily distances and elevation changes in your itinerary so you know what each day has in store.

The trail is well maintained with solid footing throughout, and there are no technical sections to worry about. For most of the way, the route stays low, following towpaths along the Caledonian Canal, forest trails, and quiet country roads.

On some days, you can choose between a low route and a high route. The high routes have more climbing and descending, and the trail can be narrower and more rugged. But the payoff is worth it — sweeping views down the Great Glen and over Loch Ness.

This route is graded easy to moderate. Each tour has its own overall grade, but individual days can vary — some may feel a little tougher or easier than the overall grade suggests.

Along the Great Glen Way, you’ll stay in a mix of B&Bs, guesthouses, and small hotels, or award-winning country hotels if you choose our In Comfort option. Every property is hand-picked for its warm welcome and genuine Highland hospitality — just what you want after a day on the trail.

The Great Glen Way is a hugely popular route, and some of the smaller Highland villages have only a few places to stay. Occasionally, we may need to book you into accommodations in a nearby location. That could mean a slightly longer hike that day or the next, or a short ride on public transportation to rejoin the trail. If this applies to your trip, we’ll always let you know ahead of time, so there are no surprises. To get your first choice of accommodations and dates, we recommend booking as early as you can.

Yes, solo travelers are very welcome. There will be a supplement because some costs, like transfers, aren't shared. Or if you'd like to book a single room, just ask. These are available for a supplement.

Each morning starts with a hearty breakfast, usually with a choice of continental or a full cooked Scottish breakfast. Lunch and dinner aren’t included, so you’re free to eat wherever you like along the way. Most accommodations are happy to put together a packed lunch for you — just ask when you check in. Or you can pick something up in one of the villages along the trail. In the evening, you can eat at your accommodation or head out to a local pub or restaurant. We include our favorite recommendations in our app, so you’ll always have a good option nearby.

You can start your Great Glen Way hike any day of the week from March through October, subject to availability. Some of the Highland villages along the trail are quite small, so accommodations can book up quickly. We recommend reserving as far in advance as you can to secure your first choice.

April and May are traditionally the most popular months to go — the weather tends to be better, and the midges haven’t arrived yet. July and August are busy as well, but any time from late March through October is a wonderful time to hike the trail. Midges are tiny biting insects, similar to gnats, that are most common in the summer months and at their worst on still, overcast days. It’s a good idea to pack some bug spray, but they shouldn’t have much impact on your trip.

Your bags will be collected from your accommodation each day and moved onto your overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 18kg/40lbs per person.

It's vital that you adhere to these limits. Heavier bags, or additional items might not be transferred, and you may be charged locally. Airlines may have different allowances, but our luggage handlers do not have the same capacity or equipment, and their health and safety is our priority.

The Great Glen Way is extensively waymarked with a thistle logo, often on a light blue post, and navigation is generally straightforward.

Navigation is straightforward using our app which has maps, tracks and daily route info. Simply download the information and tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone. Once on the trail you do not need signal for the app to work and follow your progress.

Recommended Reading

If you would like more information on the route please see our recommendations below:

Great Glen Way. Rucksack Reader. Guidebook
Great Glen Way Harvey Map. XT40

Getting to the Start

Glasgow (GLA), Edinburgh (EDI) and Inverness (INV) are the most convenient airports for this tour.

Glasgow is the closest major gateway to Fort William, with seasonal nonstop flights from the US and Canada. United flies daily from Newark (EWR) in the summer months, and WestJet flies from Toronto (YYZ). Edinburgh has the widest choice of nonstop flights from North America, with United, Delta and American Airlines all flying direct, including year-round service from the New York area and seasonal flights from cities such as Chicago, Boston and Atlanta. Flight times are roughly 6 to 8 hours, depending on where you’re flying from. Inverness doesn’t have direct flights from North America, but it’s easy to reach with one connection through London or Amsterdam.

From Glasgow Airport, take the airport express bus (approx. 25 mins) or a taxi (approx. 20 mins) into the city center. From Edinburgh Airport, you can take the tram (approx. 35 mins), the airport shuttle bus (approx. 25 mins) or a taxi (approx. 20 mins) into the city center. From Inverness Airport, it’s a short bus or taxi ride (approx. 25 mins) into the city center.

Your route to the start depends on which tour you choose.

Great Glen Way & Loch Ness (7, 8 or 9 days) and Great Glen Way & Loch Ness In Comfort, starting in Fort William

From Glasgow, take the train to Fort William (approx. 4 hrs) on a route widely regarded as one of the world’s great rail journeys. Between 3 and 4 trains run daily from Glasgow Queen Street station. Check the ScotRail website for timetables and tickets. Scottish Citylink also runs up to 8 buses a day from Glasgow to Fort William (approx. 3 hrs).

From Edinburgh, take the train to Glasgow (approx. 1 hr), then continue to Fort William by train or bus.

From Inverness, catch a Scottish Citylink bus to Fort William (approx. 2 hrs). Citylink runs up to 8 buses a day on this route.

Planning to drive? Fort William is 100 miles (approx. 3 hrs) north of Glasgow on the A82. Remember that we drive on the left in the UK, and Highland roads can be narrow and winding. Parking is available in town but isn’t secure. You can sometimes leave your car at the properties we use, so let us know when you book.

Great Glen Escape: Loch Ness to Inverness, starting in Fort Augustus

From Inverness, take the Scottish Citylink bus to Fort Augustus (approx. 1 hr). From Edinburgh, take a direct train to Inverness (approx. 3 hrs 30 mins), then the bus to Fort Augustus. From Glasgow, take the train to Fort William (approx. 3 hrs 45 mins), then a Citylink bus to Fort Augustus (approx. 1 hr).

Getting from the End

Both tours finish in Inverness, which has excellent road, rail and air links to destinations throughout Scotland and the UK.

Flying home? You can connect from Inverness Airport (INV) through London or Amsterdam, or take the train to Edinburgh (approx. 3 hrs 30 mins) or Glasgow (approx. 3 hrs 15 mins) for nonstop flights back to North America.

Left your car in Fort William? Take the Scottish Citylink bus from Inverness back to Fort William (approx. 2 hrs) to pick it up.

You'll need good hiking shoes or boots, comfortable hiking clothes, waterproofs, a daypack, and we recommend hiking poles. A portable charger for your cell phone is essential. On booking, our Tour Info will give you a complete packing list.

On certain days you can shorten the route or skip it entirely by using a taxi or public transport.

Gairlochy and Spean Bridge

Gairlochy marks the official end of the first section of the Great Glen Way. There’s no suitable accommodation in Gairlochy itself, so we’ll book your stay in nearby Spean Bridge, which has a good range of comfortable places to stay and plenty of dining options.

Most of the accommodation we use in Spean Bridge offers a pick-up service from the trail at Gairlochy, so you don’t have to hike the extra distance. Our favorite way to do it? Hike on to Spean Bridge in the afternoon, then catch a ride back to Gairlochy the next morning to pick up the trail.

We highly recommend that you have travel insurance when you book with Macs Adventure. Your policy should cover medical treatment (including repatriation and emergency evacuation by air ambulance or helicopter), injury, death, third-party liability, and trip cancellation