Great Glen Way

Great Glen Way

A walk through Scotland's Great Glen along the impressive Caledonian Canal.

3 to 8 nights
22-77 miles
Moderate to Demanding

From £390 per person

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About the trail

Take in Scotland’s finest scenery on a long-distance walking holiday through the Highlands, past Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, and along the shore of Loch Ness.

The Great Glen Way National Trail follows the route of the Caledonian Canal, which links the enormous lochs of the Great Glen all the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea. Open moorland, tree-lined towpaths, and towering, heather-clad hills are staple views, alongside castles and forts that have witnessed some of the most bloody scenes of Scotland’s turbulent history.

We offer multiple holiday options along this trail. If you wish to experience the entire trail, simply select the first option from the list below.

Choose your route

  • Great Glen Way
  • Great Glen Way Short Break

Trail running tours available

We also organise trail running holidays along this route. Find out more.

About this route

6 to 8 nights
77 miles
Moderate to Demanding
24th March to 13th October

From £725 per person

Great Glen Way

The Great Glen Way travels 73 miles from Fort William to Inverness. This epic 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.

Available tours

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
GGW1 From Fort William to Inverness 6 nights, 5 days walking Demanding £725
GGW2 From Fort William to Inverness 7 nights, 6 days walking Moderate / Demanding £835
GGW3 From Fort William to Inverness 8 nights, 7 days walking Moderate £950

Short breaks

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
GGWSB1 From Fort Augustus to Drumnadrochit 3 nights, 2 days walking Moderate / Demanding £390
"Silver Birch Sapling near Achnacarry" by Trisha Cressey (2024) "Silver Birch Sapling near Achnacarry" by Trisha Cressey (2024)
"Bench between Drumnadrochit and Blackfold" by Trisha Cressey (2024) "Bench between Drumnadrochit and Blackfold" by Trisha Cressey (2024)
"Bears between Gairlochy and Laggan Locks" by Trisha Cressey (2024) "Bears between Gairlochy and Laggan Locks" by Trisha Cressey (2024)
"Looking out across Loch Lochy towards Ben Nevis" by Trisha Cressey (2024) "Looking out across Loch Lochy towards Ben Nevis" by Trisha Cressey (2024)
"Monster Emerging from Loch Ness" by Trisha Cressey (2024) "Monster Emerging from Loch Ness" by Trisha Cressey (2024)
"Rain coming in along Loch Ness" by Marty and Jane Holski (2022) "Rain coming in along Loch Ness" by Marty and Jane Holski (2022)
"Loch Lochy on a Gloomy Day" by Marty and Jane Holski (2022) "Loch Lochy on a Gloomy Day" by Marty and Jane Holski (2022)
"Trying to Catch a Rainbow" by Marty and Jane Holski (2022) "Trying to Catch a Rainbow" by Marty and Jane Holski (2022)
"Invermoriston" by Marty and Jane Holski (2022) "Invermoriston" by Marty and Jane Holski (2022)
"Rainbow near Drumnadochit" by Marty and Jane Holski (2022) "Rainbow near Drumnadochit" by Marty and Jane Holski (2022)
"Loch Lochy near St Ciaran's Church" by Fiona Walton (2021) "Loch Lochy near St Ciaran's Church" by Fiona Walton (2021)
"Swimming in the Caledonian Canal" by Fiona Walton (2021) "Swimming in the Caledonian Canal" by Fiona Walton (2021)
"Eating Cake at Abriachan Eco Cafe" by Fiona Walton (2021) "Eating Cake at Abriachan Eco Cafe" by Fiona Walton (2021)
"Glenfinnan Viaduct" by Lubo Jurkovic (2019) "Glenfinnan Viaduct" by Lubo Jurkovic (2019)
"Fairy Trail" by Lubo Jurkovic (2019) "Fairy Trail" by Lubo Jurkovic (2019)
"After Gairlochy Locks" by Paula Aaltonen (2019) "After Gairlochy Locks" by Paula Aaltonen (2019)
"Outside Fort William" by Kim Dudley (2019) "Outside Fort William" by Kim Dudley (2019)
"Outside Fort Augustus" by Kim Dudley (2019) "Outside Fort Augustus" by Kim Dudley (2019)
"Looking Back to Urquart Castle" by Kim Dudley (2019) "Looking Back to Urquart Castle" by Kim Dudley (2019)
"Looking Back to Ben Nevis" by Kim Dudley (2019) "Looking Back to Ben Nevis" by Kim Dudley (2019)
"Between South Laggan and Fort Augustus" by Kim Dudley (2019) "Between South Laggan and Fort Augustus" by Kim Dudley (2019)
"View across Loch Ness" by Mary Jane Haemig (2019) "View across Loch Ness" by Mary Jane Haemig (2019)
"Loch Lochy near Clunes" by Jo McDonough (2018) "Loch Lochy near Clunes" by Jo McDonough (2018)
"Walking Companion" by Jo McDonough (2018) "Walking Companion" by Jo McDonough (2018)
"Corpach" by Jo McDonough (2018) "Corpach" by Jo McDonough (2018)
"Loch Ness" by Hilary Donahue (2017) "Loch Ness" by Hilary Donahue (2017)

Customer reviews from the Great Glen Way

“I enjoyed the holiday.”
Mrs Muir, Canada
“Contours, thank you for a wonderful holiday.”
Mr Windle, UK
“Excellent as always.”
Dr Phillips, UK
“Everything was perfectly organised and timed. Thank you very much!”
Mr Gubser, Switzerland
“Everything was arranged very well the same as baggage transportation.”
Mr Mostaan, Belgium
“Everything was perfect, some hard parts (especially for my Achilles tendons) but worth every penny.”
Mr Jurkovic, Slovakia
“Very enjoyable walk with good accommodation and food along the way. Maybe in Devon or Cornwall next time.”
Mr Anderson, USA
“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
“A very special and memorable trip for my Son and I. Very well managed, professional and very responsive and accommodating to change requests. I used Contours when walking the West Highland Way in 2004 and the same level of professionalism was evident in my latest trip. Would highly recommend them. Probably would not consider anyone else.”
Mr Connell, Australia
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