Cycling the Great Glen Way: Fort William to Inverness in 3 Days

The Great Glen is a fault line that cuts the Highlands in two, and the Great Glen Way rides its whole length. You start under Ben Nevis and climb beside the boats on Neptune's Staircase. Then come Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and Loch Ness, and finally the River Ness in Inverness.

The Way runs 75 miles (121 km) on canal towpath, forest road and quiet lanes. It is a walking trail that welcomes bikes, and riders keep to its lower forest roads. Among the cycling routes in Scotland, it is a coast-to-coast crossing short enough for three days.

The first half follows the canal and is close to flat. After Fort Augustus, the Loch Ness half climbs high through the forest, with about 850 m of elevation gain on the middle stage.

Can You Cycle the Great Glen Way?

Yes. The Great Glen Way is a walking trail, but Scotland's access rights let you ride it, and most of it is wide enough for bikes. Under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, walkers and cyclists share the same right of responsible access.

Scotland's Great Trails calls the Way a walking route that also suits mountain bikes, if riders respect other users. In three places above Loch Ness it splits into a high route and a low route. The high routes have very steep sections that are unsuitable for bikes.

Riders take the low routes, which follow forest roads and tracks. These still climb, to about 300 m above Altsigh and 380 m in the Abriachan woods, so the second half of the ride is hilly.

Between Fort William and Fort Augustus, the Way shares most of its line with National Cycle Route 78. From Fort Augustus, that route crosses to quiet roads on the south-east side of Loch Ness. This is the Caledonia Way, a smoother option for touring bikes.

Key facts for riders:

• Distance: 75 miles (121 km), Fort William to Inverness

• Stages: three, with nights in Invergarry and Drumnadrochit

• Direction: south-west to north-east, with the prevailing wind behind you

• Surface: canal towpath, forest road, quiet lanes and short stretches of footpath

• Highest point: 380 m, in the Abriachan woods on Stage 3

• Bike: gravel, hybrid or mountain bike with tyres of 40 mm or wider

• Best months: May to September

Great Glen Way Stage by Stage

The Way starts at sea level beside Loch Linnhe and ends on the River Ness. Every stage below ends in a village with beds and food, and the middle stage carries half the climbing.

Stage 1: Fort William to Invergarry

• Distance: 43 km (27 miles)

• Elevation gain: about 400 m

• Highest point: about 140 m, on the forest road above Loch Lochy

• Surface: canal towpath, quiet lanes and forest road

• Where to sleep: Invergarry; Gairlochy has a few beds and no shop

The Way leaves the Old Fort in Fort William and follows Loch Linnhe to the Caledonian Canal at Corpach. At Banavie it climbs beside Neptune's Staircase. Its eight locks raise the canal 19 m, and a boat takes about 90 minutes to pass.

From there, the towpath is level and smooth all the way to Gairlochy, 17 km from the start. A small lighthouse marks where the canal enters Loch Lochy. A quiet road then takes you round the south-west end of the loch, past Achnacarry, to Clunes.

Beyond Clunes, a forest road follows the north-west shore of Loch Lochy. Half a mile before Laggan Locks, a blue sign points to the Invergarry link: 4 miles of forest track and minor road. Invergarry has a post office and a small shop, and the ruin of Invergarry Castle stands on Loch Oich.

Stage 2: Invergarry to Drumnadrochit

• Distance: 48 km (30 miles)

• Elevation gain: about 850 m

• Highest point: about 300 m, on the forest track above Altsigh

• Surface: forest track, canal towpath, forest road and short footpaths

• Where to sleep: Fort Augustus, Invermoriston, Drumnadrochit

This is the longest and hardest stage, so start early and refill in Fort Augustus and Invermoriston. The Invergarry link runs on along Loch Oich to the Aberchalder swing bridge. There you cross the A82 and follow the flat towpath to Fort Augustus and its flight of five locks.

Fort Augustus has shops, pubs, a post office and a doctor's surgery, the widest choice before Drumnadrochit. Beyond it the Way climbs on forest track. The low route passes through Acquisition Number 1, the first site the Forestry Commission planted in Scotland, with tall Douglas fir and Sitka spruce.

Invermoriston, 7 miles on, has a village shop with a post office, and cafés. A minor road climbs out of the village. Then the 14 miles to Drumnadrochit pass no village: just forest tracks, short footpaths, a long climb out of Altsigh and a quiet road past Grotaig.

A new path between Ancarraig and Clunebeg opened in June 2026. It keeps you off that road before the descent to Drumnadrochit. Urquhart Castle stands on the shore about 2 miles from the village, a short ride along the A82.

Stage 3: Drumnadrochit to Inverness

• Distance: 30 km (19 miles)

• Elevation gain: about 450 m

• Highest point: 380 m, in the Abriachan woods

• Surface: pavement, steep woodland path, forest road and a drove road

• Where to sleep: Inverness, or Abriachan, which has a few beds

The day opens with a mile of pavement beside the A82, where the speed limit is mostly 60 mph. A steep, winding path then climbs through the woods to Craig Nay. It joins a forest road to Abriachan, the first community woodland in the UK bought from the Forestry Commission.

In the Abriachan woods the Way splits again. Stay on the low route, the forest road, which tops out at 380 m, the highest point of the ride. The walkers' high route crosses Carn na Leitire at 434 m on footpath.

Further on, the Way follows an old drove road. Drovers used it in the 18th and 19th centuries to take cattle to the lowland markets. It leaves the forest above Inverness, drops through the Ness Islands and follows the river to Inverness Castle, where it ends.

How Many Days Do You Need?

Most riders take three days. Nevis Cycles in Fort William says most people stop at Fort Augustus and Drumnadrochit. That plan puts the longest day on the flat canal:

Two days suits fit riders on light bikes with no stops. Four days leaves time for Urquhart Castle and for Meall Fuar-mhonaidh, the 699 m hill above Grotaig. Add a day at each end for the trains.

How Hard Is Cycling the Great Glen Way?

You need no technical skill for the canal stages. The forest roads and short footpaths above Loch Ness ask for fitness and, in places, a walk beside the bike.

Climbs Above Loch Ness

Stage 1 gains about 400 m over 43 km, almost all of it along Loch Lochy. Stages 2 and 3 add about 850 m and 450 m. So three-quarters of the climbing comes after Fort Augustus.

The long climbs start after Invermoriston, up to about 300 m above Altsigh. Out of Drumnadrochit you gain about 370 m in the 12 km to the Abriachan woods. The steep path up to Craig Nay is narrow, and many riders push their bikes up it.

Surfaces and the Right Bike

The towpath from Fort William to Gairlochy is level and smooth. Most of the rest is forest road and quiet lane. The rough parts are short footpaths between Invermoriston and Drumnadrochit, and the woodland path above Drumnadrochit.

A gravel or hybrid bike with tyres of 40 mm or wider handles the towpath and forest roads. For the steep forest and path sections, Nevis Cycles strongly recommends a mountain bike. It sends riders on touring bikes along the quiet road on the south-east side of Loch Ness.

An e-bike takes the sting out of the climbs above Loch Ness. Shops in both Fort William and Inverness hire them.

Waymarking and Diversions

The Way is waymarked from end to end with its own hexagon logo. Between Fort William and Fort Augustus, the signs of National Cycle Route 78 follow it for most of the way. The Invergarry link starts at a blue sign half a mile before Laggan Locks.

A long-term diversion on Loch Lochy takes the Way around the Coire Glas hydro works. It is signposted and adds about 600 m. Walk Wheel Cycle Trust warns that some surfaces and gradients are below cycle-route standard, and the diversion stays until June 2029.

Forestry work closed short sections in 2025 and 2026, each time with a signed diversion of a few hundred metres. Check the official Great Glen Way website for notices before you set off.

Best Time to Cycle the Great Glen Way

Spring in the Great Glen has long light and gorse in flower. Summer has the warmest days, the midges and the busiest villages, and October has heavy rain.

• April and May: Fort Augustus averages 12 to 15 °C by day. May is the sunniest month there, with about 163 hours of sunshine.

• June to August: the warmest months at 17 to 19 °C, with about 18 hours of daylight around 21 June. Midges peak in these months.

• September: still 16 °C by day and quieter, but wetter, with 105 mm of rain and about 13 hours of daylight by mid-month.

• October: 12 °C, 140 mm of rain over 18 wet days and about 10.5 hours of daylight. Urquhart Castle closes at 5pm.

• November to March: 6 to 9 °C by day, frost on 10 to 12 nights a month from December to February and under 7 hours of daylight at midwinter.

For most riders, May, June and September are the best months. They have long days and fewer midges than July and August. Figures are Met Office averages for Fort Augustus, where 1,359 mm of rain falls in a year, almost twice the total in Inverness.

Know Before You Ride

A one-way route needs most of its planning at the ends. You need trains with bike spaces, a hire bike you can leave in Inverness, and beds in small villages.

Getting There and Back

Both ends of the Way are on the railway, and ScotRail carries bikes free. On the West Highland Line and the long routes to Inverness, you must reserve the bike space with your ticket.

Book the bike space when you book the ticket, because West Highland trains have few spaces. The Caledonian Sleeper takes one bike per guest. The Citylink coach stops in Invergarry and Drumnadrochit if you need to leave the route.

Bike Hire and One-Way Drop-Off

Hiring at one end solves the problem of getting your own bike home. Nevis Cycles, on the Way at Inverlochy in Fort William, hires mountain and touring bikes with a helmet, pump, tool kit and lock. It collects the bikes from Inverness, at Ticket To Ride near the castle.

Ticket To Ride runs the same one-way hire in the other direction, with mountain bikes and e-bikes, from April to October. Off Beat Bikes in Fort William hires e-bikes, mountain bikes and touring bikes.

Food, Water and Shops

Shops are spread unevenly along the Way, so plan lunch around the villages. Gairlochy has no shop and Invergarry has a small one. Fort Augustus has the most choice before Drumnadrochit.

From Invermoriston, carry food and two full bottles, because the next shop is 14 miles away. Drumnadrochit has a small supermarket and a pharmacy. Carry lunch on the last stage too: most of its 19 miles are forest and moorland, and the bike workshops are in Inverness.

Where to Stay

Every stage village has a hostel as well as B&Bs and small hotels. Beds are few in Gairlochy and South Laggan, between the stage ends. For July and August, book the middle nights first.

• Fort William: Glen Nevis Youth Hostel, at the foot of Ben Nevis, is open all year with a drying room and a secure bike store.

• Invergarry: Saddle Mountain Hostel sleeps up to 22 in five rooms, with a self-catering kitchen, drying room and secure bike storage.

• Fort Augustus: Morag's Lodge is open all year, with 4- to 6-bed dorms, a bar, a bike store, breakfasts, evening meals and packed lunches.

• Drumnadrochit: Loch Ness Backpackers Lodge at East Lewiston has four 6-bed dorms with bed linen provided; under-16s need a private room.

• Inverness: Inverness Youth Hostel is open all year, with secure bike storage, a drying room and a self-catering kitchen.

Wild camping is legal under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code if you camp responsibly, away from roads and buildings.

How Much Does It Cost?

The Way itself is free to ride, so the money goes on beds, bikes and a castle ticket.

• Bike hire: Nevis Cycles charges £45 for one day and £120 for three days for a hardtail or touring bike.

• One-way extras: collection from Inverness costs £45 per bike, and a rack with panniers £20.

• Luggage transfer: baggage firms move a bag from Fort William to Inverness for about £60, with a 20 kg limit.

• Hostel beds: dorm beds start at £24 at Loch Ness Backpackers, £26 at Saddle Mountain and £33.50 at Morag's Lodge.

• Private rooms: from £53.50 at Morag's Lodge and £60 for a double at Loch Ness Backpackers.

• Urquhart Castle: £14 for an adult online and £16 at the door; tickets often sell out in summer.

• Trains: bikes travel free on ScotRail and the Sleeper, with a reservation.

No visitor levy is charged in the Highlands yet. The Highland Council is consulting on a fixed charge per night until 30 November 2026.

What to Pack

The Great Glen is wet as well as hilly. Fort Augustus has rain on about 14 days in each summer month, so pack for rain even in July.

For any multi-day ride:

• Waterproof jacket and overtrousers, plus a warm layer and gloves

• Spare tubes, a pump and a multi-tool

• Front and rear lights and a red rear reflector, which the Highway Code requires after dark

• Phone with the GPX file and a power bank

For the Great Glen Way:

• Tyres of 40 mm or wider for the forest roads and footpaths

• Midge net and repellent for evenings from June to August

• Food for 14 miles between Invermoriston and Drumnadrochit

• A lock for Urquhart Castle and the cafés in Fort Augustus

• Shoes you can walk in, for the steep path up from Drumnadrochit

Riding the Great Glen Way With Your Bags Moved

The Way is a one-way ride through small villages, so the hard part is logistics. You need beds in Invergarry and Drumnadrochit, your bags carried between them, and a way home from Inverness.

On a self-guided tour, the beds are booked and the bags move for you. Our Great Glen Way Bike Tour stops in the same stage villages:

• Duration: 5 days / 4 nights with 3 riding days, May to September

• Nights: Fort William, Invergarry, Drumnadrochit and Inverness, in 3-star hotels with breakfast

• Included: daily luggage transfer, a GPS app, a digital guidebook and support while you ride

• Bikes: gravel bike or e-bike hire as an optional extra

For a longer ride, the Caledonia Way adds Kintyre and the coast to Oban before the Great Glen. The North Coast 500 is the big Highland road loop. To plan your dates, ask us about next season.

On the last afternoon you ride along the River Ness into Inverness, with Loch Lochy, Loch Oich, Loch Ness and the whole length of the Great Glen behind you.