Great Glen Way
The Great Glen Way is a 119km trail in Scotland that runs coast to coast from Fort William to Inverness. I completed the hike in August of 2019 over the course of 6 days.
Day 1 - Fort William to Gairlochy
Distance: 17.3km
Time: 3 hours
Accommodation: Airbnb in Spean Bridge
The first part of the day was through the suburbs walking on the sidewalk, so having my hiking boots on felt unnecessary. I caught a glimpse of the ruined Inverlochy Castle and considered taking a detour to visit, but I decided to stay the course because I had already seen numerous castles on my trip. As I walked along the Caledonian Canal, I quickly became bored of the flat gravel path. When I reached Gairlochy, I veered off the Great Glen Way trail and began the 5.3km of road walking it would take to get to my accommodation in Spean Bridge. I considered sticking out my thumb when cars passed because pounding along the asphalt in the rain was quite miserable. Around 3km down the road, my map showed a trail that I could take to get off the road. When I got to the spot where the trail was supposed to be, there was a gate blocking off a field of cows, many of whom were eyeing me. Worried about trespassing, intimidated by the cows, and unable to see a clear trail across the field, I decided to stick to the road. When I took my boots off at the end of the day, I noticed that blisters had started to form underneath the skin that was still healing from the blisters that I gotten on the West Highland Way a week before.
Day 2 - Gairlochy to Laggan
Distance: 21km
Time: 4.25 hours
Accommodation: Great Glen Hostel
Not wanting to tire my feet out retracing the 5.3km of road back to the trail in Gairlochy, I called a cab. The cab driver had hiked the Great Glen Way one section at a time over the course of years, so I sought his wisdom. Walking along the shores of Loch Lochy was definitely the highlight of the day. I was tempted to stop for a dip and a quick sunbathe, as the weather was permitting. Near the end of the day, I stopped for a bite at the Eagle Restaurant - a converted Dutch barge floating on the Caledonian Canal - which was a unique dining experience. In the evening, when I was lounging around the common area of the Great Glen Hostel, I struck up a conversation with a woman from Germany.
Day 3 - Laggan to Fort Augustus
Distance: 16.1km
Time: 3.25 hours
Accommodation: Morag's Lodge
Today started off along an abandoned railway track last used in World War Two. I stopped to use a composting toilet, which was a much more pleasant experience than any other outhouse I had ever used. The second part of the day was back to the flat gravel path alongside the Caledonian Canal that I had grown familiar with on day 1. I met a guy from Italy who had also done the West Highland Way before the Great Glen Way and, in his quite limited English, we complained about how this trail was paling in comparison. Overall, it was a very easy day of hiking, as there was next to no elevation gain. The German woman I had met yesterday arrived at Morag's Lodge a little while after I did and I was pleased to see a familiar face. In the evening, I invited her to join me for a drink in the bar. Two guys who were part of a Haggis Tour joined us and it was a jovial night of boardgames and beers.
Day 4 - Fort Augustus to Invermoriston
Distance: 12.2km
Time: 3 hours
There is an option of a high route or a low route to Invermoriston and I opted for the high route, which has a 450m ascent. The views after getting above the tree line were absolutely worth the climb to get there. After growing wearing of walking along the Caledonian Canal, being up in the mountains overlooking Loch Ness was reinvigorating. This section of the Great Glen Way was by far my favourite. I think I had a smile on my face for the entire 3 hours. Just before getting to Invermoriston, I stopped to view Saint Columba's Well, which was underwhelming. When I arrived in Invermoriston, I stopped for lunch at the Glen Rowan Cafe, where I holed up for a while waiting for a break in the storm that had started just after I got inside.
Day 4 - Invermoriston to Alltsigh
Distance: 7.4km
Time: 1.25 hours
Accommodation: Lochside Hostel
I had only just started on the trail again, when the storm returned full force. From Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit there is again an option of a high route or a low route. Standing at the decision point being blown around by the wind and drenched by the rain, I was feeling less inspired to take the high route than I otherwise would have been. The low route also made more sense, as I was not going all the way to Drumnadrochit today and I would have to take a short, steep trail down from the high route to get to my hostel in Alltsigh, whereas the low route would take me almost right to the door. It was a fairly boring section of trail, as it was along a forestry road. A small stone cave was the only real point of interest.
Day 5 - Alltsigh to Drumnadrochit
Distance: 15.8km
Time: 3 hours
Accommodation: Loch Ness Backpackers Lodge
Today began with doing switchbacks up the hill along the forestry road that I had ended on yesterday. I was annoyed when the path through the woods ended and gave way to road walking. There were farms on either side of the road and I soon found myself being harassed by horseflies that were buzzing around my face. I found myself wishing this section to be over because I was not having fun pounding asphalt and swatting at bugs. When I arrived in Drumnadrochit, I stopped for lunch at Cafe Eighty2 and I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. I knew that the German woman was also booked in at the Loch Ness Backpackers Lodge and I looked forward to seeing her again. She had taken the high route from Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit and her recount made me regret not doing the same.
Day 6 - Drumnadrochit to Inverness
Distance: 31.8km
Time: 6.75 hours
Accommodation: BazPackers
I asked the German woman if she would like to hike with me today and finish the Great Glen Way together. She hesitantly agreed, worried that she would not be able to keep up with my average 5 km/hr pace. The first bit was road walking to get out of the village of Drumnadrochit. There was a view of Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness before we entered the woods. I started speeding up the hill and the German woman told me to go ahead without her. I enjoyed reading the educational plaques marking the remains of a Canadian lumberjack's camp from the second world war.
Soon after exiting the woods, the track opened up and I found myself walking among hills covered so thickly in Scottish heather that the hills appeared purple. When I arrived at the signpost for the Abriachan Forest Walks, I chose the diversion route because an extra 0.5km seemed an insignificant addition. I decided to stop at the picnic area I passed shortly after to have a snack and use the toilets.
A little while later, I started seeing signs for the eco café at Tomachoin. When I arrived, the German woman was enjoying a meal with a group of other German hikers, having beat me to the café by passing me on my previous rest break. We set off again together. The sun was beating down on us while we walked along the road and I was eager to get back into the shade of the forest. By this point, I was the one having difficulty keeping up because my feet were screaming. I was glad to have the company of the German woman because our conversation helped distract me from the pain I was experiencing. When we caught our first glimpse of Inverness, I was both relieved and saddened that the end was nearing. We walked through urban areas for a while and then found ourselves walking along the Caledonian Canal once more, which was a comforting sight. We passed through the Ness Islands and then popped out into the bustling streets of the city of Inverness, the castle standing proudly at the top of the hill ahead of us. I limped my way to end point of the Great Glen Way.
Summary
While I would not recommend the Great Glen Way because of the boring flat sections along the Caledonian Canal and the frequent road walking, if you decide to ignore my advice and attempt the trail, I would recommend you take the high route when you have the option because that is the best part.