Great Glen Cycleway
- Complete a Scottish coast to coast journey by bike
- Visit 13th century Urquhart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness
- Highland hospitality and cyclist friendly accommodation
- Ride the single track of Loch Lochy and Loch Oich
- Pedal the lush glen and hillsides of the Great Glen fault line
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Fort WilliamFort William is the outdoor capital of Scotland and sits in the shadow of the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. It is a vibrant town, bursting with life and will cater for any cycling or outdoors equipment that you may need before you head off on your trip.

Dora welcomes you with open arms to her beautiful guest house - Myrtle Bank. Overlooking Loch Linnie and just a short stroll from the town centre Myrtle Bank is a wonderful place to relax at the end of the West Highland Way.

Ardblair is in a stunning location overlooking Loch Linnhe and the attention to detail throughout the house is what gives this Fort William B&B its edge. All rooms are en-suite and have all the amenities you require for a comfortable night’s stay. There is WiFi access in all the rooms.

A warm welcome awaits you at Guisachan House, a family run private guest house. They are situated in an elevated position off the main road with views over Loch Linnhe and surrounding hills only 5 minutes walking distance from Fort William town centre. They have 17 bedrooms and a guest lounge and bar offering wine, beer, spirits and malt whiskey. Wireless Internet is available for the guests. There is some photography dotted around the guest house taken by Phil, one of the owners.
The first section of your trip is mostly easy, following the traffic-free towpath alongside the Caledonian Canal. Cycling beside the water will present you with a close view of Neptune’s Staircase, the longest series of canal locks in the UK. Stay on the towpath until you reach the little village of Gairlochy where you continue on singletrack. You then turn inland and climb up above the loch on fire road through amazing, ancient forest up to Laggan before you skirt the main road on your way to Invergarry for the night.

Glengarry Castle Hotel is a comfortable country house hotel located on the shores of Loch Oich, between Loch Ness and Loch Lochy. All 26 bedrooms are individually furnished and have private bathroom, tea and coffee making facilities and free Wi-Fi is available in all bedrooms, Library and Lounge.

Dating from 1885 and based at the seat of the Ancient Clan MacDonnell, the Hotel is steeped in history and character. This Famous Coaching Inn is a beautiful Highland retreat nestled in the village of Invergarry by the banks of River Garry. All rooms are en-suite and have telephone, TV, Wi-Fi, coffee & tea facilities.
A romantic Victorian country house nestled in a woodland forest. Rokeby Manor is an early Victorian House (1840) situated on the edge of the Highland Village of Invergarry. This late Georgian-early Victorian Manor has retained its character of a country home that was built with local materials and handmade techniques.
The morning begins by tackling your first really steep hill on a climb up behind Invergarry. Once at the top a lovely stretch of single track through the forest eventually brings you down to Aberchalder. You are back on the smooth canal towpath until Fort Augustus, giving your legs a wee break. There is a short stretch of cycling on the busy A82 before you are on hilly forest trails. After glimpsing Loch Ness through the trees there's a thrilling descent into Invermoriston. A more challenging forest path undulates for the next 15 miles, but it is worth it for the view from the top and the inevitable descent. Your hard day's cycle finishes in Drumnadrochit, home to two Loch Ness Monster displays as well as a host of pubs and restaurants.

Greenlea is a charming cottage situated on the Village Green in Drumnadrochit. Built in 1810, it was the first house on the green and as a listed building it maintains many traditional features. All rooms are equipped with TV, tea & coffee facilities, hairdryer and Wi-Fi access.

Situated just a little outside the village centre of Drumnadrochit the shores of Loch Ness, this peaceful haven gives you all the relaxation you need after day out on the Great Glen. All rooms are well appointed and the house is surrounded by well-kept gardens, with a relaxing lounge and bright and airy breakfast room. All rooms include complimentary upgraded Wi-Fi and tea and coffee making facilities.

Aslaich Bed & Breakfast is situated in the peaceful and picturesque village of Lewiston, adjoining the village of Drumnadrochit. This family run bed and breakfast offers peace, relaxation and beautiful views of the surrounding hills and countryside within Glenurquhart (the Great Glen). The Shores of Loch Ness (Urquhart Bay) is a short woodland walk away, and the house is situated 400 metres from the Great Glen Way. The house has a drying room for those wet walking days and has Wi-Fi available.
Today provides a different take on the Great Glen as you climb sharply out of Drumnadrochit and away from the lochs that you have so faithfully followed. Today you will be cycling through more remote scenery. Most of the cycling today is on minor roads as you ride deeper into the hills and fields that surround the Great Glen. You cycle down past the charming Loch Laide before heading past the Caiplich Prehistoric Settlement, which is worth checking out even if only for the view. Then you are back amongst the hills before a long descent into the capital of the Highlands, Inverness.

Built in 1842, your accommodation is a well-appointed Victorian villa with stunning views over the River Ness and Cavell Gardens. All rooms have TV, hospitality tray, hairdryers and free wireless Internet. They also have available on request bathrobes, slippers, toothbrushes and toothpaste, iron and ironing board and DVD player.

This guesthouse features accommodations with a front garden, free car parking, motorcycle and bicycles parking garage, super speed Wifi guaranteed, and a true locally sourced Highland breakfast, along with a la carte Chef menu that includes vegetarian and vegan options too.
All rooms come with en-suite bathrooms.

The Glen Mhor Hotel is situated in a tranquil location on the south bank of the River Ness, a 3-minute walk from Inverness city centre. Accommodation is divided between 4 charming Victorian townhouses - many rooms have wonderful views across the river to the cathedral and Eden Court Theatre. Nico's Bistro and Bar offers an informal atmosphere and dining inspired by French cuisine. A range of drinks are served in the bar, including an extensive whiskey collection, and there are cosy log-burning fires. Laundry facilities are available (cost dependent upon load) but drying facilities are available at no extra cost.
Inverness is incredibly well-placed for onward travel. There are rail and bus links to all major towns and cities in Scotland and air links to airports throughout the UK.
Other Information
Is it for me?Experiencing the Great Glen from the saddle of a bike is something that any mountain biker will enjoy. The long stretches of tow-path make for relaxed riding while the single track and fire road provide more of a challenge. With such stunning views and scenery, the challenge is always a worthwhile one.
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!
Leisure Cycling | Leisure Cycling
Solo Travellers
As a guide, we would suggest that the minimum age of traveler this tour would be suitable for is: 12 Years
The route is on canal path, singletrack, forestry road and minor road. It does involve some steep ascents and descents and is graded moderate to strenuous due to the tough climbs involved.
Experience and fitness: The cycleway does have some steep climbs and descents so you should have experience of this type of off road riding and be in good shape.
One of the highlights of this tour is the high standard of the accommodation. You will stay in carefully selected 3 or 4 star B&B’s, guesthouses, country pubs and small hotels. A delicious breakfast is always included. You can see a list of some of the accommodations that we use for the trip by scrolling down the page.
Single Rooms
If you require single rooms within your party we will always try and accommodate you subject to availability. A single supplement is payable.
Meals
A hearty breakfast is included each morning. Lunch and dinner are not included. Most of your accommodation will be more than happy to provide a packed lunch on request. Dinner is available either at your accommodation or at nearby pubs or restaurants.
The Great Glen Cycleway is very well waymarked, with pale blue posts marked with a thistle guiding your way. You'll receive maps and a guidebook to ensure you find your way easily.
- 4 Nights in 3*/4* B&B's, guesthouses and small hotels
- Baggage transfers
- Information pack, and route notes
- Access to detailed maps, and GPS tracks in the Macs Adventure smartphone navigation app
- 24/7 Emergency telephone support from our office
- Travel to Fort William / from Inverness
- Bike hire (mountain bike as standard)
- Lunches, dinners, drinks & snacks
- Personal equipment
- Travel insurance (required)
- Additional nights along the route
- Bike hire (mountain bike as standard)
This trip is available to start on any day, from April through to October.Â
Weather and climate: This trip is available between April and October. The beginning and end of the season will be cooler, although the weather is changable and can be wet at any time in Scotland.
Fort William is easily accessed from Glasgow. There are several daily trains that run which you can check on the Scotrail website. Alternatively there are several buses that you can book on the Citylink website. Should you wish to drive, there are a couple of B&B’s that will allow you to leave your car with them while you cycle to Inverness.
From Glasgow there are frequent departures from either Queen Street Rail Station or Buchanan Bus Station. You can find further details for this section of the journey by going to City Link for buses or Scotrail for trains.
Again Inverness is well serviced by Scotrail and Citylink and both can be booked via their websites. Inverness also hosts an international airport with flights to many places in the UK. If you are returning to Fort William to collect your car this is easily done by travelling on a Citylink bus which takes around 2 hours.
Daily door to door baggage transfer is included in the cost of your holiday. 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 info section: 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.
Equipment hire section. We currently hire the following type of mountain bike on this trip.Â
Brand |
Trek |
Bike Type |
Mountain |
Frame types |
Gents, ladies, unisex |
Sizes |
15, 17, 19, 21 in |
Front suspension  |
yes |
Stand |
no |
Mud guards |
no |
Luggage rack Rear/Front |
no |
Paniers |
no |
Handle bar Bag/ map holder |
no |
Bottle holder/Water bottle |
yes (available) |
Computer meter |
No |
Interchangeable pedals |
Yes |
Front gear set |
2 |
Back gear set |
10 speed |
Brakes |
Hydraulic Disc |
Helmet included |
Yes |
Puncture repair kit |
Yes |
Spare inner tubes/ how many |
Yes/1 |
Pump |
Yes |
Lock |
Yes |
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.
We suggest you book as soon as your plans are finalised as the Great Glen is extremely popular and most departures fill up several months before departure. You will find up to date availability on our website, and please give us a shout if you have a query.
The Great Glen Cycleway is a fairly tough trip because you are riding continuously day after day, but it is far from an endurance marathon. The itinerary is designed to be enjoyable for a regular rider. If you currently don’t enjoy that level of fitness, then regular mountain biking supplemented by cardiovascular exercise for at least six months before your trip is recommended. A good gym or personal trainer will be able to draw up a personalised training programme.
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved on to your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 18kg per person.
You will need a good quality mountain bike and your normal mountain biking gear for a day ride with perhaps some extra warm layers if the weather is cold. You can download a full equipment list from our website downloads page.
Bikes of a certain price range are usually a good way to tell if your bike is going to last the pace. Anything from around £600 and up would generally do, but front suspension and hydraulic brakes are other good indicators. You will get away with a slightly less expensive bike as long as you have front suspension and it is well maintained. More expensive full suspension XC bikes are also perfect, but you should avoid downhill or "all mountain" bikes which tend to be a bit heavy and have too much travel.
Fort William is the gateway to the Highlands and is serviced by local train and bus services! With these services, you can connect easily to the start of the Great Glen Way trail with direct trains running from Glasgow city centre to Fort William (approx.. 4 hours). Getting back from Inverness is also easy and there are again train and bus services onwards to Glasgow and Edinburgh city centres. Please check our local journey planner Traveline Scotland for more information.
The summer months are best as the weather tend to be better and the daylight hours are longer.
Midges are small biting insects (much like North American gnats) which are prevalent in the summer months. They are particularly bad on still, overcast days but do not bother you if you are moving, the wind is blowing, the sun is shining, it’s raining, or you are inside. As long as you carry repellent for the odd occasion you may need it they shouldn’t have any impact on your experience.
You can use public transport or local taxis to continue to your next overnight stop.
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