The Great Glen Way: Map, Baggage Transfer, Accommodation, and more!

The Great Glen Way runs from south to north, from Fort William to Inverness. The route is 79 miles/127 kilometers long and is traditionally divided into 6 stages:

• Stage 1, Fort William to Gairlochy: 10.5 mi / 17 km
• Stage 2, Gairlochy to Laggan Locks: 12.8 mi / 20.7 km
• Stage 3, Laggan Locks to Fort Augustus: 12.1 mi / 19.5 km
• Stage 4, Fort Augustus to Invermoriston: 9.2 mi / 14.8 km (High Route: 10.5 mi / 16.9 km)
• Stage 5, Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit: 14.3 mi / 23 km (High Route: 13.6 mi / 21.9 km)
• Stage 6, Drumnadrochit to Inverness: 19.88 mi / 32 km

Contrary to other treks in Europe, like the Alta via 2 in the Dolomites and the Salzburger Almenweg in Austria, where you can only trek during the summer months, you can walk the Great Glen Way all year round. When it comes to the best season to walk the Great Glen Way, the truth is that the weather is pretty much the same, no matter when you go. You can see this as an advantage or a disadvantage. In the Highlands, the weather is always bad. You may even experience all four seasons in one day... and it will certainly rain.

Officially, the best time is during the Summer months, during July and August. During Summer the average temperature rises a little and days are longer. However, during those two months is mosquito season and it can be quite annoying. A more appropriate time would be during Spring, that is from May to June when temperatures are pretty much the same as during Summer, it rains a bit less, and most importantly: there are no mosquitoes.

On the Great Glen Way you can either spend the night at a cozy hotel in a small town or camping in one of the several camping sites along the way. The accommodation options, however, can be a bit limited at times. The thing with the Great Glen Way is that the stages guide you through small towns, where sometimes there are only 1, 2, or maybe 3 accommodation options. The Great Glen Way is one of the most popular treks in Scotland and it welcomes thousands of trekkers every year. Arranging the stages and booking the accommodation should not be taken lightly, since the hotels get fully booked months in advance.

Unlike other treks in Europe, like the Alta Via 1 in Italy, where wild camping is not allowed, it is possible to go wild camping during the Great Glen Way, but only if practiced responsibly under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. If you want to find out about the code and the rules that you should follow while wild camping, you can do so here. When it comes to camping, there are also plenty of camping sites along the Great Glen Way where you can find a good place to place your tent and you will also have some basic facilities at your disposal.

The Great Glen Way starts in Fort William and ends in Inverness. The trail is traditionally walked from south to north, although it can be done in the opposite direction.

Starting point

The WHW starts in Fort William. There are direct trains and buses from Glasgow to Fort William. The bus ride takes about 3 hours, while the train is a bit slower and takes almost 4 hours. You can also take a trian or bus from Edinburgh. The ride from Edinburgh to Fort William takes about 5 hours.

Ending point

The trek ends in Inverness. From Inverness you can either take a 2-hour bus drive back to Fort William or travel directly to Glasgow or Edinburgh. The bus and train rides to Glasgow and Edinburgh are direct and take about 4 hours

The Great Glen Way is a very popular trek and attracts thousands of tourists every year. Thanks to its popularity, a big touristic industry has grown around it and there are plenty of services which will make your walk easier and lighter. One of these services is that of baggage transfer. There are several agencies that offer baggage transfers during the Great Glen Way and most of them offer their service for the full trek for about GBP 50,-. The Baggage transfer companies pick up your bags every morning from your hotel and make sure that they are waiting for you at your next stop when you arrive. That way, you can enjoy the trek without any extra weight on your shoulders. Quite convenient, isn't it?

The Great Glen Way is a great route for those who prefer riding a bike to walking. The trails on this route are wide and suitable for bikes. Just as for trekkers, you can choose to do the higher or the lower trail, but of course, the higher route has more difference in altitude, which should be taken into account when planning your trip.

If you are cycling the Great Glen Way, the itinerary will be shorter and it is usually done in 3 days, with overnights stops in the villages of Fort Augustus and Drumnadrochit. A 3-day itinerary gives you enough time to stop along the way and visit the different highlights on the route. If you want to take it easier and explore a bit more, you can also choose a 4-day itinerary with overnight stops in Laggan Locks, Invermoriston, and Drumnadrochit.

Once you finish your cycling tour on the Great Glen Way, you will probably have to make your way back from Inverness to Fort William. In that case, you can take a train back to Fort William. ScotRail allows bikes in their wagons and it removes the stress of finding a way to carry your bike back to the starting point of the trek.

The Great Glen Way and the West Highland Way are two of the most famous long-distance walking trails in Scotland. If one is not enough, you can very easily combine the two. The West Highland Way happens to end in Fort William, the starting point of the Great Glen Way, which makes them the perfect match for a longer adventure!

Yes, the Great Glen Way is totally safe. The trails are quite straight forward and there is very little difference in altitude. The biggest challenge during the Great Glen Way is the weather. It is well known that the climate in Scotland isn't the best and chances are that it will rain during your Great Glen Way trek. The key is knowing that it will happen and being prepared for when it does, so make sure to carry a waterproof jacket and an extra pair of socks with you.

When it comes to the direction, the most popular option is walking the route from south to north and ending at Inverness. The signs, however, point in both directions so you can also do it from north to south. The signs are clearly marked with the Great Glen Way logo. The path is perfectly laid out and very well signposted. The Great Glen Way trail is very clear, there is no possibility of getting lost.

Scottish Emergency Number: 999

112 connects to the same services as 999 and works in exactly the same way. Neither number has priority over the other, so you may use either number to reach the emergency services.