The Great Glen Way ( gd, Slighe a' Ghlinne Mhòir) is a
long distance path
A long-distance trail (or long-distance footpath, track, way, greenway) is a longer recreational trail mainly through rural areas used for hiking, backpacking, cycling, horse riding or cross-country skiing. They exist on all continents exc ...
in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
. It follows the
Great Glen
The Great Glen ( gd, An Gleann Mòr ), also known as Glen Albyn (from the Gaelic "Glen of Scotland" ) or Glen More (from the Gaelic ), is a glen in Scotland running for from Inverness on the edge of Moray Firth, in an approximately straight ...
, running from
Fort William in the southwest to
Inverness in the northeast, covering .
[ It was opened in 2002, and is designated as one of ]Scotland's Great Trails
Scotland's Great Trails are long-distance "people-powered" trails in Scotland, analogous to the National Trails of England and Wales or the Grande Randonnée paths of France. The designated routes are primarily intended for walkers, but may have se ...
by NatureScot
NatureScot ( gd, NàdarAlba), which was formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for the country's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and ...
. The Great Glen Way is generally walked from southwest to northeast to follow the direction of the prevailing wind. It can be walked in 5–7 days,[ or cycled in 2–3 days. The trail is maintained and improved by the Great Glen Ways partnership, which consists of Highland Council, ]Scottish Canals
Scottish Canals is the Scottish Government body responsible for managing the country's inland waterways. Formerly a division of British Waterways, it became a stand-alone executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government on 2 J ...
and Forestry and Land Scotland
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) ( gd, Coilltearachd agus Fearann Alba) is responsible for managing and promoting Scotland's national forest estate: land, predominantly covered in forest, owned by the Scottish Government on behalf of the nation. ...
. About 30,000 people use the path every year, of whom about 4,500 complete the entire route.
A temporary model railway known as ''The Biggest Little Railway in the World
The Biggest Little Railway in the World (BLR) was a temporary 71 mile (114 km) 1.25 inches (32 mm) O-gauge model railway from Fort William to the City of Inverness, the two largest settlements in the Scottish Highlands. It has been ...
'' was laid and filmed over the Great Glen Way in the summer of 2017.
Route description
Beginning at the Old Fort in Fort William, the Great Glen Way skirts the shores of Loch Linnhe to Corpach
Corpach ( gd, A' Chorpaich) is a large village north of Fort William, in the Scottish Highlands. The canal lock at Corpach Basin on Loch Linnhe, east of the narrows leading to Loch Eil, is the western sea entrance of the Caledonian Canal. It is ...
, and then the Caledonian Canal. The eight locks
Lock(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
*Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance
*Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lock ...
of Neptune's Staircase
Neptune's Staircase () is a staircase lock comprising eight locks on the Caledonian Canal. Built by Thomas Telford between 1803 and 1822, it is the longest staircase lock in Britain. The system was originally hand-powered but has been converted ...
take the canal to above sea level. The route passes various canal features until it reaches Loch Lochy
Loch Lochy (Scottish Gaelic, ''Loch Lòchaidh'') is a large freshwater loch in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland.With a mean depth of , it is the third-deepest loch of Scotland.
Geography
Located southwest of Loch Ness along the Great Glen, the loc ...
, where forest track
Forest tracks or forest roads are roads or tracks intended to carry motorised vehicles or horse-drawn wagons being used mainly or exclusively for forestry purposes, such as conservation or logging. Forest tracks may be open to ramblers or mountain ...
s take it along the western shore before it rejoins the canal at Laggan Locks. A detour to visit a couple of Munro
A Munro () is defined as a mountain in Scotland with a height over , and which is on the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC) official list of Munros; there is no explicit topographical prominence requirement. The best known Munro is Ben Nev ...
s is an option here, but it is likely to take the best part of the day.
From Laggan Locks the route follows the towpath through Laggan Avenue to the Laggan Swing Bridge. Crossing the A82 road, it then runs along the eastern shore of Loch Oich
Loch Oich (; gd, Loch Omhaich) is a freshwater loch in the Highlands of Scotland which forms part of the Caledonian Canal, of which it is the highest point. This narrow loch lies between Loch Ness (to the north-east) and Loch Lochy (to the sout ...
, partly following the route of the dismantled Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway
The Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway was a branch-line railway built in Scotland, connecting the named places with the main line at Spean Bridge. It opened in 1903.
Serving exceptionally sparsely inhabited areas it was never commercially su ...
. It returns to the canal towpath at Aberchalder, for the next section into Fort Augustus
Fort Augustus is a settlement in the parish of Boleskine and Abertarff, at the south-west end of Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands. The village has a population of around 646 (2001). Its economy is heavily reliant on tourism.
History
The Gaeli ...
. An alternative route known as the "Invergarry Link" runs along the western side of Loch Oich, providing access to accommodation and shops in Invergarry
Invergarry ( gd, Inbhir Garadh) is a village in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Great Glen, near where the River Garry flows into Loch Oich
Loch Oich (; gd, Loch Omhaich) is a freshwater loch in the Highlands of Scotland which forms p ...
.
From Fort Augustus the route climbs up into the forest above the NW shore of Loch Ness
Loch Ness (; gd, Loch Nis ) is a large freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. It takes its name from the River Ness, which flows from the northern end. Loch Ness is best known for claim ...
. There are views from the high level forest track which eventually drops into Invermoriston
Invermoriston (''Inbhir Mhoireastain'' in Gaelic) () is a small village north of Fort Augustus, Highland, Scotland. The village is on the A82 road, at a junction with the A887.
The village's most visited attraction is the Thomas Telford bri ...
and out by a steep climb. High level forest track leads into the hamlet of Grotaig, then alongside the road until a path heads down through Clunebeg Wood to the banks of the River Coiltie
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
and Borlum Bridge on the outskirts of Drumnadrochit
Drumnadrochit (; gd, Druim na Drochaid) is a village in the Highland local government council area of Scotland, lying near the west shore of Loch Ness at the foot of Glen Urquhart. The village is close to several neighbouring settlements: the vi ...
. The route passes through the village, and up a steep hill to Abriachan
Abriachan (; Gaelic: ''Obar Itheachan''), is a village in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is situated high above the western shore of Loch Ness, 15 km to the south-west of the city of Inverness. The village has a population of a ...
. The Great Glen Way ascends a forest track giving good views traversing through the forest. Leaving the road at Blackfold, the waymarking indicates forest track at Craig Leach Forest which eventually emerges at a reservoir. The route runs downhill through the suburbs of Inverness, then follows the canal and the River Ness to the city centre, finishing at Inverness Castle
Inverness Castle ( gd, Caisteal Inbhir Nis) sits on a cliff overlooking the River Ness in Inverness, Scotland. A succession of castles have stood on this site since 1057, although the present structure dates from 1836. The present structure is ...
.
Great Glen Canoe Trail
The Great Glen Canoe Trail, Scotland’s first dedicated long distance trail for canoe
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.
In British English, the ter ...
s and kayaks, runs along the Great Glen, close to the Great Glen Way. The 96-kilometre route includes 29 lock
Lock(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
*Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance
*Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lock ...
s which must be portaged, and takes between 3–5 days to complete. The trail was formally launched in 2012, and is also designated as one of Scotland's Great Trails.[
The Great Glen was first swum by Marathon swimmer Alina Warren, who completed the 117 km in July 2012.] The swim used all three lochs, and river Ness, river Oich and the river Lochy instead of the canals.
Trail connections
The Great Glen Way connects to several other long-distance routes at various points along its length:
* John o' Groats Trail
{{Use British English, date=December 2017
The John o' Groats Trail is a Scottish long-distance walking route from Inverness to John o' Groats, traversing back lanes, footpaths, shorelines and cliff tops of the Scottish Highlands. The trail gives ac ...
at Inverness
* South Loch Ness Trail at Inverness
* Affric Kintail Way at Drumnadrochit
Drumnadrochit (; gd, Druim na Drochaid) is a village in the Highland local government council area of Scotland, lying near the west shore of Loch Ness at the foot of Glen Urquhart. The village is close to several neighbouring settlements: the vi ...
* West Highland Way
The West Highland Way ( gd, Slighe na Gàidhealtachd an Iar) is a linear long-distance route in Scotland. It is long, running from Milngavie north of Glasgow to Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, with an element of hill walking in the ...
at Fort William
* East Highland Way at Fort William
* Cape Wrath Trail
Cape Wrath Trail is a hiking route that runs through the Scottish Highlands and along the west coast of Scotland.
It is approximately 200 miles (321 km) in length and is considered to be one of the most challenging long distance walks in the ...
at Fort William
References
External links
Official website
Great Glen Canoe Trail
official website
Step-by-step guide to the route on Walkhighlands
Guidebook to the Great Glen Way (6th ed, 2020)
Official Facebook page
Great Glen Ways and Caledonian Canal - Youtube
{{UK Trails
Scotland's Great Trails
Footpaths in Highland (council area)
Loch Ness