Scotland - Great Glen Way
The Great Glen, which has always been the main trading route in the Scottish Highlands, is an area steeped in history. The sea monster of Loch Ness is, and may remain, a figment of the imagination, but while there is little to disturb the peace these days, it is an indisputable fact that there have been countless disputes and battles between the various clans in this area over the ages. The Great Glen Way, which runs alongside the Caledonian Canal, takes you past crystal-clear lakes and through small towns with cosy pubs. The landscape of this part of the Scottish Highlands is characterised by green hills that contrast beautifully with the mirror-clear waters. In other words, the Great Glen Way is Scotland at its most beautiful.
It is important to be in good physical shape when walking the Great Glen Way. There are some steep climbs along the way, but it's the long stages that present the biggest challenge on this walk. There is excellent signposting throughout the route.
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The small town of Fort William lies idyllically on the deep blue waters of Loch Linnhe. The summit of Ben Nevis towers majestically behind the rooftops, and the varied landscape has made Fort William a popular base for highland excursions.
Ben Nevis and the other peaks of the Highlands provide a beautiful backdrop to the first short section of the Great Glen Way, which takes you close to the water on the outskirts of Fort William and on through small parks. After a few miles you come to The Caledonian Canal, which you follow to Inverness. The route is flat until you reach the locks at Gairlochy, and from here it's just a stone's throw to the overnight accommodation at Spean Bridge.
Today's route is along Loch Lochy. Keep your eyes peeled here, as this deep loch has also inspired folklore - in this case in the form of the sea monster "Lizzie", although probably not as famous as the Loch Ness monster, "Nessie". Once you've made it all the way around the loch, you can begin to see the first houses in the village of Laggan.
Today's route takes you a little higher up the terrain and offers great views of nearby Loch Oich. You'll walk through a peaceful stretch of woodland with a wealth of colourful thistles along the way. At Aberchalder, the Great Glen Way meets the Caledonian Canal again, and then continues through a beautiful riverside valley to Fort Augustus.
Today you'll reach the famous Loch Ness, and this stage, which is slightly shorter than the previous ones, will give you the chance to take it easy. In the village of Invermoriston there is a small waterfall as well as some cafes and restaurants.
On today's stage there are two options: you can either choose to follow a path that climbs steep steps to places with wonderful views, or to follow a less steep path along the banks of Loch Ness, although it also goes slightly uphill after a few kilometres. Where the two paths meet, the route continues through unspoilt woodland and moorland to Drumnadrochit.
The long final section of the Great Glen Way is split into two shorter stages. In the morning, transport is arranged to Loch Laide, from where the journey is through peaceful woodland and moorland back to Drumnadrochit. In the village, you can choose to visit the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition or the ruins of Urquhart Castle, or head to one of the nearby waterfalls.
In the morning a transfer back to Loch Laide is arranged. The last leg is through an idyllic woodland area with occasional views of Inverness. Then it's a slight downhill to the banks of the River Ness and from there on into the city and destination of Inverness Castle, which towers beautifully over the city and marks the end point of the Great Glen Way.
The journey is now over. You leave the hotel after breakfast.
Price includes
- 8 nights in carefully selected 3-star hotels and inns
- Breakfast every day
- Luggage transport between hotels
- Carefully elaborated route descriptions maps and other materials
- 24-hour local and international service hotline for the duration of the tour
- Access to the route in our GPS-app which works offline while you walk
- This is a packaged holiday and is therefore covered by The Travel Guarantee Fund - See which benefits this means for you - click here
- Transportation to the starting point
- Handling fee (€20)
- Tourist tax (if due)
Practical info
The price is based upon two people sharing. It is also possible travel alone in a single room. If you travel alone a single room is necessary.
On this tour you will be on your own supplied with maps, route descriptions and luggage transfers. That means that your time is your own and you have plenty of time to enjoy the stages in your own pace.
Check the price quickly
You can quickly check the price of your desired trip without having to fill in anything. Here's how:
- Choose your desired start date
- Click on the green button "See price and reserve your holiday" and go to the booking form
- Select number of people, add any optional extras and see the price at the bottom of the page (you don't have to fill in anything on the form).
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For example, if you want a flight included or changes to the trip, you can order a quote for this using the "Get a quote" button. Remember to describe in detail what, if anything, you want changed.
The process of your booking
When you book, we will start booking hotels and arranging all the practical details of the trip. This process typically takes 2-5 working days, but some bookings may take longer. If you are arranging your own transport, we recommend that you wait until we have confirmed your booking before arranging this.
Dates
If you can select the date in the tour calendar at the top of this page, this is a possible start date. We continually update the tours with sold-out dates, after which those dates will turn red and cannot be selected.
The flights to/from Inverness, Edinburgh or Glasgow are not included in the price. You can easily find a suitable flight via a flight booking engine such as Momondo or Skyscanner.
Notice: we recommend that you book with us and wait for the confirmation before you book your flights.
It works like this:
- You book your chosen holiday with us
- We confirm your holiday (usually within 2-5 working days)
- You arrange your transportation
Getting there
Here is a link for the perfect tool which will help you get an overview of how to get to the starting point of the tour: Rome2Rio
You will stay in carefully selected 3-star hotels and inns.
Breakfast is included in all hotels. Dinner can be bought close to the hotels in the accommodation towns, and lunch can either be brought and enjoyed as a picnic, or you can stop at one of the many bars and cafés you pass.
Luggage transfer is included on this tour. Upon arrival at the first hotel you will be given luggage tags along with the rest of the welcome package. You fill out the luggage tags and put them on your bags where they will remain for the duration of the tour.
Your luggage is picked up from the hotel lobby around 9am every morning and will arrive at your next hotel at 6pm at the latest (often long before that). If there are any special exceptions to the luggage transfer you will be notified upon arrival.
Luggage transfer includes one bag per guest and the bags can weigh 20kg each.
You will recieve the following documentation
Upon booking
You recieve practical information about the tour in a digital format
One month before arrival
You recieve your hotel list and your voucher (hotel list is often supplied upon booking)
Upon arrival
You recieve the welcome package which contains the printed version of the road book, luggage tags, local specific vouchers and if you have rented bikes then they will also be delivered and fitted at the first hotel.
This tour has difficulty grade 2-3. Which means that most days are difficulty 2 and some days are difficulty 3.
Grade 2
Easier walking at reasonable good paths. The walking time will be 4-6 hours usually in hilly terrain. Every one in good health and a normal physical fitness can participate. Luggage is mostly transported and you only go with a lighter backpack. Requires good footwear such as trekking shoes or hiking boots.
Grade 3
Walking in hilly or mountainous terrain, with longer ascents and descents. You will walk 5-7 hours a day. Requires good fitness and good health, but no technical experience. Requires good footwear such as trekking or hiking boots.
Read more about our Grading System
Here you can get an overview of the entire route and the elevation profile for each day. The data shows the data from the GPX-files related to the tour. Notice that the routes are sometimes updated, which means that there might be small variations.
Colors
Blue routes: The route as normal
Red routes: Variations/options (such as shortened or extended routes)
It can be hard to plan your trip according to the weather, but to give an idea of the local climate, you can see the data below:
We are members of the Travel Guarantee Fund (nr. 2529) and have all available insurances. This covers you regardless of your nationality. Read more about that here.
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Phone: +44 20 3936 1208
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Phone: +44 20 3936 1208
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