The Great Glen Way

The Great Glen Way, a fairly new walking route that was created to add an extension to its much more famous and well established sister, The West Highland Way.

The Great Glen Way stretches 73 miles officially...but is longer by 5 miles at least, from Fort William to Inverness passing some of the most beautiful scenery the Highlands has to offer. The initial part of the walk is quite boring with many flat stretches, even walking alongside the Caledonian Canal towpath, but don’t let this fool you as soon as you meet Fort Augustus you leave the village and start to climb, this is where on a clear day the views will astound you. The famous and majestical loch that we sometimes take for granted comes into view as you hike your way towards our village of Invermoriston.

The official distance from Fort Augustus to Invermoriston is 8 miles...ha ha...it is 7 by the road and as you wind your way around the mountain of Strom-na-Muich or as it is known in English the Snout of the Pig the hotel will come into view..however you will have to travel another 1 1/2 miles before you can taste that pint of ale, lager of cup of tea! You have to travel down the road of Dalcattaig and then make your way back again before you reach teh village centre and finally the Hotel. All in all this part of the walk will have been 9 3/4 miles not the 8 quoted by the guidebooks. The path then leads its way through the village to the front of the Hotel, around the side of us, to the rear and up the hill towards Drumnadrochit.   

After leaving the village of the morning you have a steep climb up the hill at the rear of the hotel but believe me the view is spectacular once you reach the top. A tip is to take a moment to walk off the path when you see the sign for the stone seat, this is a victorain seat built for the ladies of the area so they could partake in tea and scones of the afternoon. THe view from here lets you take in the Loch from Invermoriston to Fort Augustus, the Cairngorm mountain range and also the Nevis range...well worth the effort. After thsi you are on your way to Drum...as we all know it..Drumnadrochit is by far too big a mouthfull! This walk will take you up and down for the firts half of the 14 miles you walk before you arrive at your next stopping place...but, it is the most beautiful stretch you will walk along the whole route so do not give up, it wil make the effort worth while.

After Drum, most people will the last stretch (18 miles) to Inverness in one day as most of it is fairly flat walking with the final 5 miles literally road walking before you reach the official end of the walk at the monument outside of Inverness castle.

The walk is not as tasking as the West Highland Way and does not have the amenities that the WHW has, however the Forestry Commision along with the Great Glen Way ranger service are doing there best to improve things on the walk all the time, when money will allow.

I think you will find the walk enjoyable, if that is not the case you will find our village enjoyable whether we see you or not, but the chance are we will and a good night is guaranteed.