Last chance availability on popular trips: Browse here

 

Great Glen Way - 7 Days & 6 Nights

7 Days & 6 Nights 4.6 Read 237 reviews
  • A classic trail through highland scenery from Fort William to Inverness
  • Discover the Caledonian Canal with its very impressive series of locks
  • Visit Urquhart Castle and its superb setting on Loch Ness; look-out for Nessie!
  • Impressive views of Ben Nevis en route - the UK's highest mountain
  • Offering a sense of accomplishment on completion of this long-distance trail
The Great Glen Way is a 79 mile walk through Scotland’s most famous Glen from Fort William to Inverness via Loch Ness. It takes your through walk through beautiful forests, peaceful working canals and brooding lochs. Starting in Fort William at the base of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain, you follow the Caledonian canal via Neptune’s Staircase to Gairlochy for your first nights’ accommodation. You then continue on the Great Glen Way up Loch Lochy to South Laggan, and on to Fort Augustus via Loch Oich and Kytra Lock. The Great Glen Way then follows the western shore of Loch Ness passing the highland towns of Invermoriston and Drumnadrochit until you reach the historic town of Inverness. Nessie hunters can take a cruise on Loch Ness from Fort Augustus, Drumnadrochit and Inverness and shouldn’t miss the Loch Ness Experience in Drumnadrochit. Urquhart Castle, with its commanding view of Loch Ness is another must see, as is Inverness Castle at the walk’s end.
Read All
The Great Glen Way is a beautiful walk among some of the most dramatic scenery in the country. The Great Glen was frequently used by Robert the Bruce to covertly travel north, so there is a rich history to the area to accompany its jaw-dropping vistas.

Tour Type:

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Activity:

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travellers

As a guide, we would suggest that the minimum age of traveler this tour would be suitable for is: 14 Years

Ideal if you have an interest in:

  • Long-Distance Trails
  • Accessible by Rail

Activity Level & Terrain

This holiday is graded easy to moderate overall, with the 7 and 8 day and the Great Glen Escape tours graded moderate, due to a couple of longer days. Daily walking distances very between 8-20 miles. Some days will be more challenging than others and the terrain will be varied with some rough and rugged footpaths. There are ascents and descents involved, so a good level of fitness will be required. For fitter walkers the High Route will appeal, which affords particularly spectacular views.

The High Route

Through a £1 million project, the Forestry Commission Scotland created over 10 miles (16km) of waymarked Great Glen ‘High Route’ above Loch Ness. These options take you above the treeline and offer more fantastic views than the traditional route, with some challenging gradients and a new summit at 422m (1385ft) on Creag Dhearg. 

Navigation

The route is well way marked and easy to follow. All the walks on this itinerary are available in the Macs Adventure Smartphone App. We also supply a map and guidebook so you will easily manage to find your way.

As the navigation on this tour is straightforward, it does not have turn-by-turn directions. Simply download the app for offline use and follow the route on your phone with the assurance that you will be able to find your way, even without turn-by-turn directions.

Accommodations

Overnight in B&B’s, small hotels and guesthouses, specifically chosen to ensure that you enjoy every minute of your stay. They all offer a warm welcome to walkers and traditional hospitality.

Solo Walkers & Single Rooms

The Great Glen Way is available and well suited to solo walkers as the route is popular and well marked. Single rooms are available but a single supplement is payable.

Alternative accommodation location

Please note that the Great Glen Way is an extremely popular route and the accommodation is limited. In some places, we may need to book a hotel or guesthouse in a different location, meaning that you may walk further on this day, or the next day, or you may be able to use public transport to get to your accommodation and back onto the trail the next day. We will provide all the information needed, should that be the case.

Meals

A hearty breakfast is included each morning. Lunch and dinner are not included so you are free to choose from the available options. Most of your accommodations will more than happy to provide a packed lunch on request and this can be booked on arrival. Dinner is available either at your accommodation or nearby pubs and restaurants and your guide book will have details.

Included
  • Hand-picked accommodation in B&B's, guest houses and small hotels
  • Breakfast at each accommodation
  • Baggage transfers
  • Information pack and access to maps and GPX tracks on the Macs Adventure smartphone app
  • 24/7 Emergency telephone support from our UK office
Excluded
  • Travel to the start / from the finish of the walk
  • Lunches, dinners, snacks & drinks
  • Travel insurance (required)
  • Personal equipment
  • Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage
Extras
  • Extra nights before, during or after your walk
  • Single/Solo Supplement

When To Go

You can start your walk on the Great Glen Way on any day between March and October, subject to availability. Due to the small size of some of the charming Highland villages along the Great Glen Way, availability can be tricky for us. It is always best to book as far in advance as possible to secure our preferred accommodation choices. To be in the best chance of getting this tour confirmed for your preferred dates, it is best to try and avoid staying in Invermoriston on a Sunday night, due to the limited dining options in the area.

Getting to the Start

By Air: Inverness and Glasgow Airports are the most convenient. From Inverness Airport catch the bus (2 hours) or arrange a private transfer to Fort William. From Glasgow Airport take the shuttle bus into Glasgow city centre and then the train (4 hours) or bus (3 hours) to Fort William.

By Train: Between 3 and 4 trains run daily from Glasgow to Fort William and the journey takes around 4 hours. Widely regarded as one of the world’s great rail journeys this is a great way to start your trip. Visit Scotrail's website for timetables and tickets.

By Bus: Scottish Citylink operates up to 8 departures per day from Glasgow to Fortwilliam (3 hours) and up to 8 buses per day from Inverness (2 hours) to Fort William. Visit Scottish Citylink's website for timetables and tickets.

By Car: Fort William is 100 miles (approx. 3 hours) north of Glasgow on the A82. Parking (not secure) is available in Fort William. You can sometimes leave your car at the properties we use in Fort William, but please request this at the time of booking.

Private Transfers: We can arrange private transfers from Glasgow, Inverness or Edinburgh to the start/end of your walk; just ask us for a quote. This is often the smoothest way to begin or conclude your adventure.

Journey Planning: If travelling by public transport the website www.travelinescotland.com has an excellent journey planner.

Getting from the End

Inverness has excellent transport links by road, rail and air to destinations throughout Scotland and the UK. Use the websites listed above for timetables and tickets.

Luggage Transfer

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 per person.

At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase.  Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person.  It is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.

General Information

The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.

How far in advance do I need to book?
How fit do I need to be?
How do the baggage transfers work?
What personal equipment do I need?
When is the best time of year?
How do we get to and from the trail?
What are the midges like?
Am I able to take my dog?
What happens if I cant walk a stage?

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Fort William Day 2 Fort William to Gairlochy/Spean Bridge 10.5 miles / 17 km Day 3 Gairlochy/Spean Bridge to Laggan 12 miles / 19 km Day 4 Laggan to Invermoriston 18.5 miles / 30 km Day 5 Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit 14.5 miles / 23 km Day 6 Drumnadrochit to Inverness 20 miles / 32 km Day 7 Onward Travel

You May Also Like

  • Classic Routes
    Type Classic Routes
    7 Days 6 Nights
    West Highland Way - 7 Days & 6 Nights
    Complete this well-known route in 6 longer walking days; from Milngavie to Fort William.
    Highlights
    • Walk Scotland's most famous long-distance trail
    • Follow the trail from Loch Lomond to Ben Nevis
    • Sample hearty Highland food en route
    Activity
    Level
    Accommodations
    Level
    From $1,010.00
  • Classic Routes
    Type Classic Routes
    7 Days 6 Nights
    St Cuthbert's Way - 7 Days & 6 Nights
    Ideal for long-distance walkers, includes two long days of 15-19 miles on well-signed trail.
    Highlights
    • Enjoy varied forest, hill and coastal walking
    • Cross the Scottish and English border
    • The Holy Island and pilgrim shrine to St Cuthbert
    Activity
    Level
    Accommodations
    Level
    From $945.00
  • Classic Routes
    Type Classic Routes
    7 Days 6 Nights
    Fife Coastal Path - 7 Days & 6 Nights
    A little more challenging with some longer days this itinerary is for the more active walker.
    Highlights
    • Walk north on Fife's coastal trails
    • Wander the cobbled streets of charming St Andrews
    • See the wildlife that inhabits this rugged coast
    Activity
    Level
    Accommodations
    Level
    From $1,345.00
  • Classic Routes
    Type Classic Routes
    8 Days 7 Nights
    Rob Roy Way - 8 Days & 7 Nights
    Connect with the history of Rob Roy MacGregor on this itinerary with longer walking days.
    Highlights
    • Relatively easy-going walking in Perthshire
    • Archaeological sites and recreated crannogs
    • Indulge in local whisky alongside a hearty dinner
    Activity
    Level
    Accommodations
    Level
    From $1,095.00
Currency:
$ - USD - US Dollar
Country/Region name:
USAUSA