Great Glen Way

A stunning walk from Fort William to Inverness through Scotland's Great Glen.

6 to 8 nights
73 miles
Moderate to Demanding

From £510 per person

Discover the available tours

About this route

This holiday option explores the full length of the Great Glen Way National Trail from Fort William to Inverness. This epic 73-mile holiday encounters the iconic British landmarks of Ben Nevis and Loch Ness, along with a plethora of other fantastic scenery to enjoy.

As you cross the breadth of Scotland from coast to coast, expect a unique mixture of beautiful views, charming settlements, elusive wildlife and fascinating history, making for an all-round magnificent walking adventure.

This route can be walked in the opposite direction upon request. Please contact us and we will be happy to assist you.
Standard
Interactive
© Contours Walking Holidays Great Glen Way map
Fort William to Inverness
73 miles (117 km)
27th March to 10th October

Holiday Highlights

Tracing the course of the Caledonian Canal through spectacular forests.

Discovering the impressive castles on the route, including Uruhart Castle and Ardverikie Castle.

Revelling in the sense of achievement as you cross the country of Scotland from coast to coast.

Available tours

CodeTourDurationDifficultyPrice per person
GGW1 From Fort William to Inverness 6 nights, 5 days walking Demanding£510
GGW2 From Fort William to Inverness 7 nights, 6 days walking Moderate / Demanding£595
GGW3 From Fort William to Inverness 8 nights, 7 days walking Moderate£680

Great Glen Way 6 nights, 5 days walking

£NNN per person
  • Itinerary
  • What's included?
  • Extra nights?
  • Tour facts
  • Route profile
  • Travel info
  • Weather
Start

Travel to Fort William where your first night's accommodation has been booked

Day 1

Fort William to Gairlochy. 10.5 miles (17km)

Day 2

Gairlochy to South Laggan. 12 miles (19km)

Day 3

South Laggan to Invermoriston. 18.5 miles (30km)

Day 4

Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit. 14 miles (22km)

Day 5

Drumnadrochit to Inverness. 18 miles (29km)

Finish

Depart from Inverness after breakfast

Your Itinerary

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.

The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to walk more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard.

Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Dog friendly tours are subject to a Daily Dog Charge, which will be listed below if applicable. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are walking on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Walker or Single Supplements apply respectively:

A note about transfers
Solo Walker Supplement
£35.00 per person / per night
Single Supplement
£30.00 per person / per night

You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£55.00 per person / per night

What's included?

  • 6 nights accommodation in en-suite rooms (where available) in selected B&B’s, hotels, inns and guesthouses along the trail, or a short distance away via taxi provided at our expense.
  • Breakfast each day.
  • Door to door luggage transfer.
  • Maps with the route marked on and a guidebook or route notes describing the trail.
  • An information pack containing an itinerary, instructions on how to find your accommodation each night and a kit list.
  • Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of your holiday and back from the end of it.

Extra Nights & Rest Days

An extra night gives you the chance to explore some of the villages and old market towns along the trail, catch up with writing postcards or to simply relax and give those weary legs a rest.

Many people have an extra night in Fort William before starting the trail and visit Glen Coe or Glen Nevis or climb Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain.

If you fancy somewhere peaceful, consider Invermoriston. It is an attractive little village and there are some lovely walks to waterfalls along woodland trails.

If you want to spend time looking for the Loch Ness Monster then Drumnadrochit is a good choice.

There is a lot to see and do in Inverness. The castle, cathedral, the Inverness Museum and Balnain House, with its fascinating exhibition of Highland music, are all worth a visit. Culloden Battlefield, which also has an informative visitor centre, is a short bus journey from the town.

You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£55.00 per person / per night

Tour Facts

Total distance: 73 miles (117 km)
Duration: 6 nights, 5 days walking
Minimum daily distance: 10.5 miles (17 km)
Maximum daily distance: 18.5 miles (30 km)
Code: GGW1 Grade: Demanding
Season: 27th March - 10th October
Start of holiday: Fort William
End of holiday: Inverness

Route Profile

Great Glen Way Route Profile

Travel Information

Useful information and travel links that will assist you in your plans to travel to the start of the holiday and back from the end of it are sent to you with your full tour pack. A summary is given below:

By Air - The most convenient major city and international airports are Inverness, Glasgow and Glasgow Prestwick.

By Rail - There is a rail station at the start of the trail (Fort William) and also at the end of the trail (Inverness).

By Bus - Various bus services run to Fort William and from Inverness.

From London - Trains run from London Euston station to Fort William. Alternatively trains run from London Euston station to Glasgow, where buses then run regularly to Fort William.

Return To The Start - The easiest way to return to the start of the trail, is to take the bus from Inverness to Fort William.

Weather Information

To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:

  • MetCheck - This website allows you to look up detailed weather information for specific locations as far as six months in advance.
  • Met Office - This website shows regional area forecasts a few days in advance, with a general UK forecast description of up to 30 days in advance.
  • Mountain Forecast - This website shows what the forecast is like up on specific hills and fells, and offers forecasts a few days in advance.

Routes on this trail

Great Glen Way Short Break

3 nights
22 miles
Moderate / Demanding+
From £270 per person
A wonderful walk along the central section of the Great Glen Way from Fort Augustus to Drumnadrochit.Find Out More
Explore more holidays on the Great Glen Way trail

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Customer reviews from the Great Glen Way

“Nice places to stay, fine weather, beautiful nature.”
Mr Petersen, Denmark
“This is the first time I have used a company to arrange our walking holiday. I was a bit worried that the accommodation wouldn't be as good as when I have arranged it myself but I was pleasantly surprised.”
Ms Fiona Day, UK
“In rating the B&B accommodations... they were uniformly splendid and accommodated the tastes of all six of us from the US, aged 14 to 76.”
Mr Collins, USA
“Excellent holiday.”
Mr Betterton, UK
“Contours, thank you for a wonderful holiday.”
Mr Windle, UK
“Thank you, we had a lovely, hassle-free holiday.”
Mrs Cresswell, UK
“Everything was perfectly organised and timed. Thank you very much!”
Mr Gubser, Switzerland
“Once again your organisation of luggage and booking of accommodation was excellent. I enjoyed the challenge of walking the Great Glen. You do a great job.”
Mrs Catton, UK
“I had a lovely holiday walking the Great Glen! Days 3 and 4 along Loch Ness were spectacular! I truly appreciate the quick service, the directions to my B&BS nightly, and the luggage transfers. Truly an incredible experience I won’t forget thanks to all of you!”
Miss Reimann, USA

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