Grade: Comfort: Start/Finish: Fort William/Inverness Distance: 79 miles Duration: 9 Days & 8 Nights Availability: April-October Website Code: WSSGGWS Stay in award-winning hotels and hike Scotland's iconic Great Glen Sample delicious Scottish fare and enjoy a Highland welcome from your hosts Follow the picture perfect Caledonian Canal from Fort William to Inverness Visit the 13th century ruins of Urquhart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness Delight in stunning views of Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis Our Great Glen Way in Comfort trip delivers a unique and truly memorable Is this tour for me? visit to Scotland for walkers wishing to experience the Great Glen Way with If at the end of a great day’s walking you a touch of style. Stay in hand-selected hotels with first class service, like a touch of style and comfort this is the traditional Scottish hospitality and culinary excellence. itinerary for you! Staying in award-winning Starting in Fort William, at the base of Ben Nevis, follow the Caledonian country hotels and dining on delicious Canal, via Neptune’s Staircase, and past Loch Lochy and Loch Oich to Scottish cuisine is perhaps the best way to reach Scotland’s most northerly city of Inverness. En route you’ll trace the discover this iconic Scottish landscape. shores of iconic Loch Ness, pass the 13th century ruins or Urquhart Castle, and stay in charming Highland villages. Itinerary Day 1: Arrive Fort William and overnight. Day 2: Walk to Gairlochy, 12 miles. Day 3: Walk to Laggan, 15 miles. Day 4: Walk to Fort Augustus, 10 miles. Day 5: Walk to Invermoriston, 8 miles. Day 6: Walk to Drumnadrochit, 14 miles. Day 7: Walk to Loch Laide, 10.5 miles. Day 8: Walk to Inverness, 11 miles. Day 9: Onward Travel What’s Included 8 nights in hand-picked 3, 4 & 5 star accommodations • 8 Breakfasts • 1 night dinner in Spean Bridge • Luggage transfer • Taxi transfers as per the itinerary • Information pack and access to maps and GPX tracks on the Macs Adventure smartphone app • Emergency telephone support from our office in the event of a problem Self Guided Walking & Cycling Tours—Call +44 (0)141 530 8886 or +1-720-487-9898 (US) macsadventure.com Highland game, beef and lamb, scallops Oich Bridge you follow the canal for a few from the Isle of Mull, Arisaig prawns and miles along to Fort Augustus. salmon from Wester Ross all feature Day 1 This is a lovely section of canal and Kytra frequently on the menu. Arrive in Fort William Lock is one of the highlights of the entire Day 3 walk. Fort Augustus is centred on a series Lying in the shadow of Ben Nevis at the of lochs which are always a hive of activity. Walk to Laggan head of Loch Linnhe sits Scotland’s It is a great spot to spend afternoon or outdoor capital - Fort William. From Gairlochy you follow the shore of evening. Loch Lochy on forest tracks through land Overnight: Nevis Bank Inn Walk: 10 mil.es owned by the Cameron Clan. The Clan The modern 4-star Nevis Bank Inn is the Cameron Museum at Achnacarry is well Overnight: The Lovat perfect place to spend your first night in the worth the short detour. Achnacarry was The Lovat is a beautiful, eco friendly hotel Highlands. Situated on the banks of the also home to one of the toughest located in the village of Fort Augustus on River Ness, you can enjoy a meal in the commando training camps in the world. excellent 'Browns' restaurant or relax in the the southern tip of Loch Ness. Rooms are bar. Fort William is just a 10 mins walk If you do decide to visit the museum we contemporary yet traditional with the away. would strongly recommend taking the majority enjoying views of mountains, the detour (on the minor road) past Loch Canal or Loch Ness. Meals can be taken in Day 2 Arkaig to then re-join the path again at the main restaurant offering a finer dining Walk to Gairlochy Clunes as this is a wonderful walk. After experience or the Brassiere. Both provide Clunes the road continues on fire tracks diverse menus cooked from some of the You start on the outskirts of Fort William above Loch Lochy all the way to South finest ingredients found in Scotland. following the River Lochy with a short Laggan. detour to Old Inverlochy Castle. Ben Nevis Day 5 Walk: 15 miles Distillery, which runs tastings and tours is Walk to Invermoriston also just off the route. After briefly following Overnight: Glengarry Castle Hotel the banks of Loch Linnhe you reach At Fort Augustus you leave the canal and Corpach where the Caledonian Canal Glengarry Castle sits on the shores of begin your journey on the banks of Loch meets the Atlantic. Loch Oich, between Loch Ness and Loch Ness. This section has some steep climbs Lochy in a beautiful woodland setting. You and is mainly on fire roads and some good Here you turn northeast and follow the will be greeted with the aroma of the wood tracks. You have great views of Loch Ness towpath to Banavie and Neptune’s smoke from the burning log fires . throughout so make sure you keep those staircase, a series of lochs which raise the eyes peeled for the monster. canal 80 feet in 400. Leaving Banavie Rooms are individually styled in traditional behind you follow the canal towpath as it highland style and staying in a castle is Walk: 8 miles always special, especially when you can winds it way through stunning countryside Overnight: Glenmoriston Arms above the River Lochy with great views of look forward to a fine meal in the castle Invermoriston is a small but charming Ben Nevis and the Grey Corries. restaurant with fine views of Loch Oich. village not far from Loch Ness. Stay in a Day 4 On arrival in Gairlochy we will transfer you superior, super-king or four-poster bed to your accommodation in Spean Bridge. Walk to Fort Augustus room at this friendly and welcoming hotel, which boasts a relaxed guest lounge with Walk: 12 miles Your day starts at Laggan Bridge, which is open fire, bar, and a restaurant serving the highpoint of the Caledonian Canal at Overnight: Smiddy House such delights as pan-seared wood pigeon 106ft above sea level. Initially you follow or Highland venison stroganoff. Why not Once the village Smithy this 4-star the Eastern shore of Loch Oich, through treat yourself to a relaxing massage in the ‘Restaurant With Rooms’ offers first class one of Scotland’s most beautiful pristine hotel’s treatment room (pre-booking Scottish hospitality. Rooms are individually natural woodlands, which is teeming with essential). designed but it is its cuisine for which birds and wildlife. Smiddy House is known. Once you reach the end of Loch Oich at Self Guided Walking & Cycling Tours—Call +44 (0)141 530 8886 or +1-720-487-9898 (US) macsadventure.com Day 6 thousand years of history, a visit to this destinations throughout Scotland the UK. picturesque castle is well worthwhile. Walk to Drumnadrochit Walk: 10.5 miles Rejoin the Great Glen Way as it climbs steeply out of Invermoriston. The path Overnight: Loch Ness Inn climbs steeply until you are high above Day 8 Accommodation Loch Ness, it then descends again to the Lochside after three miles and climbs Walk to Inverness One of the highlights of this tour is the high standard of the accommodation. We again, so yes, a tougher day of walking Take a short transfer back to where you specifically choose the hotels to ensure today. Most of the section is spent on started your walk yesterday (this is a that you enjoy every minute of your stay. woodland paths and tracks on the steep remote part of the Great Glen Way). You They all offer a warm welcome to walkers, sides of the Glen. follow woodland trails to climb and rejoin traditional hospitality and delicious local the Great Glen Way at Loch Laide. A great day's walk ends in Drumnadrochit, food. famous for its Loch Ness Experience Here you follow a minor road across the If the hotels mentioned in the itinerary do Centre. heather moors for a few miles and then at not have availability we may use Blackfold you branch off through the forest Walk: 14 miles alternative accommodation of the same or before beginning your descent down Overnight: Loch Ness Inn better standard. We would always inform towards Inverness and the Moray Firth. you of this before confirming your booking. The Loch Ness Inn is found in the heart of Following the Caledonian Canal and River the small town, and throughout the hotel Solo Walkers & Single Rooms Ness you soon walk into the centre of you’ll find such lovely touches as tweed Inverness and Inverness Castle, which If you require single rooms within your curtains in the bar, or local scenes in the marks the end of your walk on the Great party we would be happy to accommodate restaurant’s artwork. Manager Isla Glen Way. you although there is a single room Urquhart and her friendly team have won supplement payable. Solo walkers are also Walk: 11 miles numerous Scottish hotel awards. welcome for an additional charge. Overnight: Rocpool Hotel Most of the restaurant’s fish is sourced Meals from the little fishing village of Mallaig, with The Rocpool hotel is a boutique hotel Breakfast is included each morning. Lunch their famous whole prawns hailing from providing modern elegance and and dinner are not included.