Great Glen Way

Great Glen Way (Slighe a' Ghlinne Mhòir) is Scotland’s long-distance route that follows the Great Glen from Fort William to Inverness, linking the lochs and the Caledonian Canal along a single main line.

Plan on a ~119.5 km hike for this route. It’s typically done in about 5–7 days, or faster by cycle in shorter bursts; the usual walking direction is southwest to northeast so you’re generally moving with the prevailing wind.

Early sections are low-level and work through town edges and the canal corridor, then the route increasingly undulates once you pass the midpoint near Fort Augustus. If you choose the higher forest option between Fort Augustus and Drumnadrochit, expect steeper forest sections and a higher overall ascent figure for that variant.

The main corridor is built around the lochs of Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and Loch Ness, with the canal towpath acting as the connector between them. Big canal features on the route include Neptune’s Staircase on the Caledonian Canal.

Between Laggan Locks and Fort Augustus, the route runs along the canal towpath through Laggan Avenue before returning to the canal system at Laggan. There are also route options that include access via Invergarry (the “Invergarry Link”).

After Fort Augustus the way moves up into forest above the NW shore of Loch Ness, then eventually drops toward Invermoriston and continues on to Drumnadrochit. From Drumnadrochit, the route works downhill into Inverness, finishing at Inverness Castle.

The path is maintained and improved by the Great Glen Ways partnership involving Highland Council, Scottish Canals and Forestry and Land Scotland, reflecting the corridor’s mix of canal infrastructure and footpath/track management.

For logistics, the trail ends are well served by public transport: Fort William and Inverness both have rail stations, and there’s a bus service along the Great Glen that links settlements along the route (with the Gairlochy area requiring a short road link to the nearest bus stops).

Wild camping is legally allowed in Scotland when done responsibly under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, which matters if you’re stretching day lengths or smoothing out stage-to-stage distances.

More information: Wikipedia, Scotland's Great Glen Way: The Supreme Guide - UTracks, Walking the Great Glen Way: Complete Guide, Tips & Itineraries