Fort William - Gairlochy: Underneath Ben Nevis on the Calendonian Canal
The route starts in Fort William, on the shores of Loch Linnhe and in the shadow of Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain. Views of the mountain and its fearsome North Face cliffs can be seen over much of this section, weather permitting. The route leaves the shores of Loch Linnhe, heading inland past Neptune's Staircase, a series of locks near the strait of the Caledonian canal. From here the route takes the riverside path and canal towpath to highland villages of Gairlochy, at the foot of Loch Lochy.

Gairlochy - South Laggan: The shores of Loch Lochy
This 13 mile section follows the northern bank of Loch Lochy for its entire length. It is characterised by fairly easy walking on forestry tracks, footpaths and minor roads. There are spectacular views over Loch Lochy to the high mountains beyond.

South Laggan - Invermoriston: Loch Oich and Fort Augustus
The canal towpath and old railway track bed take the route along the tree clad shores of Loch Oich, a nature reserve resplendent with native woodlands and wild flowers. There are views across the Loch to the ruins of Invergarry Castle, once the seat of the famous MacDonnells clan. Fort Augustus, established by General Wade in 1729, is soon reached. St Benedicts Abbey and cruises on Loch Ness provide diversions here.

Invermoriston - Drumnadrochit
After a steep climb out of Invermoriston with fine views of Loch Ness, you will walk on steep undulating forest tracks until Grotaig. From here the trail changes to moorland and farmland with views over the Great Glen and onwards to Drumnadrochit, known locally as "Drum." You could take a rest day here to visit the impressive Urquhart Castle and cruise on the mighty Loch Ness.

Drumnadrochit - Blackfold
There are no services or accommodations at Blackfold - the half way point of the Drumnadrochit to Inverness leg. For this reason, first thing in the morning a taxi will take you to Blackfold where you will walk this section "in reverse" back to Drumnadrochit for a second night stay at the same accommodation. This section is stunning in "reverse" as you have a fantastic view of Urquhart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness. The following morning, the taxi takes you back to Blackfold to you continue your walk to Inverness.

Blackfold - Inverness
A day of varied walking through woodland and finishing on the rural paths of Ness Islands before viewing the impressive setting of Inverness Castle, where this walk finishes.

Moderate

The Great Glen Way is a very appealing walk on good terrain. It is easier than the West Highland Way as it is less strenuous, but it still requires good planning and preparation. No problem for regular walkers!

Terrain: The route generally follows the Caledonian Canal, loch shores, and well made forest trails on the lower slopes.

What’s it like underfoot? Pretty good. Well maintain canal towpath and forest tracks. Shorter sections can be rougher of muddy, so good footwear essential.

How Much Up & Down? Amazingly little considering the size of the surrounding mountains! Some short steep ascents and a longer climb of 300m to Blackfold on the final day.

Signposting: Generally good, but use you map and guidebook as well.

Navigation: Pretty straightforward. You may encounter hill fog on the moorland around Blackfold, but the route is well defined.

Weather: You may be lucky enough to encounter warm, dry weather over the whole route and enjoy dry paths and tremendous views, but you must be prepared because the weather can change quickly. Good clothing and waterproofs essential!

Good accommodation and friendly hosts are an essential part of any holiday. We understand this and go out of our way to find the best. We put a great deal of effort into hand picking our accommodation and matching it to individual customer requirements. As well as visiting the accommodation ourselves, we ask all our customers to complete a short evaluation on each night’s accommodation, which then gives us an insight in to the day-to-day operation, and lets us spot any potential issues before they become a problem.

We use a variety of accommodation, including small country house hotels, guest houses in market towns, bed and breakfasts in farm houses, country cottages and Victorian town houses. In selecting the accommodation we look for helpful, friendly hosts with good quality, characterful accommodation close to the trail. For example, over the course of your trip you might stay in a village inn, a bed and breakfast in a converted barn, a Victorian guest house, on a working farm, and in a Georgian hotel.

We always try to arrange ensuite accommodation, i.e. rooms with their own bathrooms for each night of your stay. However, in some of the more remote locations accommodation is limited and occasionally we may have to book rooms with shared bathrooms for one or two nights of your holiday, (especially if the booking is made at short notice), but we will always let you know if this is likely to be the case.

General travel information on the Great Glen Way area will be in your holiday pack including train and bus timetables where available.

Detailed instructions on getting to your first night’s accommodation by car, or on foot from the nearest train or bus station, will also be included in the holiday pack on individual accommodation maps.

To view train times please visit www.qjump.co.uk where you can also purchase tickets in advance. For information on bus timetables please visit www.traveline.info

If you require secure car parking whilst walking this route, please contact us for information.

Getting There: Fort William
By Air:  The nearest international airport is Glasgow (GLA). There is a regular shuttle bus into Glasgow city centre (approx 25 mins). From Glasgow city centre there plenty of direct trains to Fort William. You can travel by train straight from the airport if you wish; it just makes your journey time slightly longer.
By Public Transport:  Fort William has a railway station.  Most services will pass through Glasgow (GLA).
By Road: From Glasgow in Scotland, Fort William is 108 miles north - approximately 2.5 hours by car.   For Glasgow travel on the M6 north then the A74(M). For the most direct route to Fort William from Glasgow, follow this sequence of roads: A81, A804, M8, M898, A898, A82.

Returning from Inverness:
By Public Transport: Inverness has a railways station for onward travel.
By Road: When traveling back into England or Wales, head for either Edinburgh (157 miles) or Glasgow (171 miles) depending on the direction of your final destination.