huckepack

Great Glen Way

Slighe a' Ghlinne Mhòir

Length

Stated
120 km, the stated length (Great Glen Way (the Highland Council's Great Glen Way team))
Map line
123.2 km, OpenStreetMap along the official track
Used for
The charts on this page, and comparing trails in the search

120km

Ascent · descent

This trail
Estimated from the terrain model (≈): no source states them
How
Every main stage's climbs and drops between samples 100 m apart
Keep in mind
In forests the model reads the treetops, so it reads high there

estimated: 2,600m ↑2,600m ↓

Difficulty

What
How hard the trail is, in three ways: the terrain, the climate in season and the length of the days
Scale
Easy to Hard, with the same thresholds for every trail; each takes its hardest measure
Keep in mind
It describes the trail, not how it will feel to you: that depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather you get
  • Terrain: ModerateClimbing: ≈ 21 m per km
  • Climate: Demanding in Mar–JunCold: −1 °C at night (March)
  • Effort: HardLongest day: ≈ 9 h 15 (stage 6)

All measures

Terrain: Moderate; Climate: Demanding in Mar–Jun; Effort: Hard
Suggested
4–7days

Per stage

How
The 6 main stages' totals over their number
Source
Great Glen Way (the Highland Council's Great Glen Way team), so the averages come from one source
Ascent
The terrain model's estimate per stage (≈): the stages state no climbs

20.2km· about 430 m ↑

Landscape

Source
ESA WorldCover satellite land cover, along the main route
  • Forest: 68%
  • Grassland and shrubs: 22%
  • Water, snow and ice: 7%
  • Farmland and villages: 3%

Landscape along the route

Mostly Forest

Location

Country
United Kingdom
Regions
Scotland
Start
Fort William
Finish
Inverness
Route type
Point to point
Travel hubs
  • Fort William0.7 km by road · 1 min
  • Inverness Airport (INV)121.9 km by road · 113 min
Managed by
The Highland Council (Great Glen Way team), one of Scotland's Great TrailsOfficial website
  • Trail
  • Start
  • Stage start
  • Finish
  • Contour lines

Difficulty

Terrain

Rates
How hard is the ground to walk: the path, the climbing, the steep bits, the ground underfoot?
How
Rated over the whole main route.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Path grade
the trail's SAC grade, stated, converted or estimated
  1. EasyT1
  2. ModerateT2
  3. DemandingT3
  4. HardT4 to T6
Climbing
ascent of the main stages over their length
  1. Easyunder 15 m per km
  2. Moderate15–30 m
  3. Demanding30–50 m
  4. Hard50 m or more
Steep stretches
share of the route steeper than 15 %, up or down (terrain model)
  1. Easyunder 5 %
  2. Moderate5–15 %
  3. Demanding15–30 %
  4. Hard30 % or more
Natural ground
share on footpaths and trails (OpenStreetMap); never Hard on its own
  1. Easyunder a third
  2. Moderatea third to two thirds
  3. Demandingtwo thirds or more

Moderate

  • SAC hiking scale

    This trail
    T1 (our estimate)
    Basis
    Mostly low-level on canal towpaths, forest tracks and minor roads, and "suits all levels of walker"; the sections above Loch Ness climb on forest tracks and footpaths, the optional high routes over open hillside to 434 m; some stretches follow the A82 on pavements. Hiking on good paths (T1).
    Scale
    The Swiss Alpine Club's hiking scale, from T1 (easy) to T6 (very hard)
    Why
    Trails rate difficulty in many local scales, or only in words; we translate each into this one so trails compare
    Keep in mind
    An estimate: how hard a trail feels depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather
    T1 · Hiking
    Well-made paths, mostly flat or gently sloping. No risk of falling; trainers are enough.
    T2 · Mountain hiking
    A continuous path, steep in places, where a fall can't be ruled out. Be sure-footed; wear hiking boots.
    T3 · Demanding mountain hiking
    The path is not always visible; exposed spots may have chains or ropes, and you may need your hands for balance.
    T4 · Alpine hiking
    Often no path. Hands are needed in places, terrain is exposed, and there can be easy snowfields.
    T5 · Demanding alpine hiking
    Mostly pathless, with easy climbing and exposed, demanding terrain. Needs alpine experience.
    T6 · Difficult alpine hiking
    Pathless, very exposed, with climbing and glaciers. For experienced mountaineers only.

    The scale at the Swiss Alpine Club

    estimated T1
  • Climbingestimated 21 m per km
  • Steep stretches2 % of the way
  • Natural ground12 %

Climate

Rates
How hot, cold, wet and windy does it get?
How
From 30 years of daily weather (ERA5), rated per month. Without months picked: the trail's best run of at least two season months, each measure at its hardest month. Pick months in the search to rate it for yours.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Heat
mean daily high at the lowest point
  1. Easyunder 22 °C
  2. Moderate22–27 °C
  3. Demanding27–32 °C
  4. Hard32 °C or more
Cold
mean nightly low at the highest point
  1. Easy8 °C or more
  2. Moderate3–8 °C
  3. Demanding−2 to 3 °C
  4. Hardbelow −2 °C
Wet days
days a month with 1 mm of rain or more, the wetter of both points
  1. Easyunder 10
  2. Moderate10–14
  3. Demanding14–18
  4. Hard18 or more
Snow
days a month with 1 cm of snow or more at the highest point
  1. Easyunder 1 day
  2. Moderate1–3 days
  3. Demanding3–6 days
  4. Hard6 days or more
Wind
mean of the day's strongest wind (hourly mean, 10 m above ground), the windier of both points
  1. Easyunder 15 km/h
  2. Moderate15–20 km/h
  3. Demanding20–25 km/h
  4. Hard25 km/h or more

Demanding in Mar–Jun

  • Heat · June16 °C by day
  • Cold · March−1 °C at night
  • Wet days · May18 days
  • Snow · March4 days
  • Wind · March20 km/h

Effort

Rates
How long are the days?
How
Rated by the longest main stage; a time range counts its upper end.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Longest day
walking time of the longest main stage, stated or by DIN 33466
  1. Easyup to 4 h
  2. Moderate4–6 h
  3. Demanding6–8 h
  4. Hardmore than 8 h

Hard

  • Longest day · stage 6estimated 9 h 15

Climate

Days · lowest point
5–17°C
Nights · highest point
−1 to 9°C
Wet days a month
13–17
Daylight
6.7–17.9h
Day high and night low−10 °C0 °C10 °C20 °CWet days, at the highest point5101520Daylight7.3 h9.4 h11.6 h14.2 h16.5 h17.9 h17.3 h15.2 h12.7 h10.2 h7.9 h6.7 hJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Climate by month, 1995–2024 average
MonthLowest point, day high / night low (°C)Highest point, day high / night low (°C)Wet daysSnow daysFrost nights at the highest pointDaylight (h)
January5.4 / 1.62.7 / -1.2165.718.87.3
February5.8 / 1.43.3 / -1.415.25.918.39.4
March7.7 / 2.25.2 / -0.714.63.517.811.6
April10.7 / 48 / 1.1141.61014.2
May13.9 / 6.911.1 / 3.915.40.32.516.5
June16 / 9.813.4 / 6.914.50017.9
July17.3 / 11.515 / 8.814.90017.3
August17.1 / 11.614.7 / 8.814.90015.2
September15.1 / 9.812.5 / 6.913.300.112.7
October11.6 / 7.28.8 / 4.116.50.32.710.2
November8.2 / 4.35.4 / 1.114.91.610.97.9
December5.8 / 1.93 / -1.115.54.918.46.7

Climate by month

Source
ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, averages for 1995–2024
Places
The trail's lowest and highest point, adjusted to their height
Bars
From the mean night low to the mean day high
Wet days
At least 1 mm of rain; snow days at least 1 cm of snow
Daylight
Sunrise to sunset in the middle of the month
Shading
The trail's season

Stages

RouteDistanceAscentDescentElevation
1Fort William Gairlochy17.0 km120 m ↑100 m ↓10 → 30 m
2Gairlochy South Laggan20.7 km460 m ↑450 m ↓30 → 40 m
3South Laggan Fort Augustus19.5 km390 m ↑410 m ↓40 → 20 m
4Fort Augustus Invermoriston11.7 km340 m ↑320 m ↓20 → 40 m
5Invermoriston Drumnadrochit22.0 km660 m ↑680 m ↓50 → 30 m
6Drumnadrochit Inverness30.2 km630 m ↑640 m ↓30 → 20 m

Totals and averages count the main stages only. ≈ marks our estimates where the source gives no figure: ascent and descent and heights from the terrain model (Copernicus DEM, 30 m grid, sampled every 100 m), to the nearest 10 m.

Terrain

Highest · lowest point
381m high2m low

Gradient

Steepest climb
19 % (11°), 96 m up over 500 m, stage 5
Steepest descent
−13 % (7°), 64 m down over 500 m, stage 5
Gradient
Height per distance: 20 % is 20 m up per 100 m forward; 100 % is 45°, not 90°
Keep in mind
Averages over 500 m from a 30 m terrain model: steps and ladders within them are steeper
GradientAngleFeels like
10 %6°Noticeable on a road
20 %11°A steep path, slow going
30 %17°Very steep, often steps
100 %45°Scrambling

19% ↑−13% ↓

Steep stretches

This trail
1.6 km up, 1 km down: the darkest parts of the profile
Steep
15 % or more (9°, 15 m of height per 100 m), in 200 m stretches
Why it matters
Slow going uphill, hard on the knees downhill

2.6km

Surfaces

  • Natural ground: 12%, 15.0 km. Earth, grass, rock and roots: footpaths and forest trails. Can be muddy after rain.
  • Gravel: 70%, 85.7 km. Gravel, compacted and stony surfaces: mostly forest roads and farm tracks.
  • Paved: 17%, 20.9 km. Asphalt, concrete and cobbles: roads and village streets.
  • Unknown: 1%, 0.6 km. Stretches whose surface OpenStreetMap doesn't record.

12% natural70% gravel17% paved
0 m200 m400 m381 mStage 1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Stage 5Stage 60 km122.1 km

Terrain along the route

Heights
Copernicus terrain model, 30 m grid, every 100 m along the main route; in forests it reads the treetops
Colours
Each 200 m by its gradient in walking direction: climbs warm, descents violet, darker when steeper (to ±30 %)
Ground
The strip below, from OpenStreetMap; the 54% without a surface tag is read from the way type (footpaths natural, tracks gravel)

Landscape

Forest68%Grassland and shrubs22%Water, snow and ice7%Farmland and villages3%Stage 1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Stage 5Stage 60 km122.1 km

Landscape along the route

Source
ESA WorldCover 2021, a 10 m satellite map
Points
Every 100 m along the main route; each takes the most common class within 30 m, so the path itself doesn't count as bare ground
Groups
Its eleven classes, folded into the six shown
Keep in mind
What the landscape looks like, not which plants grow there

Sleeping

Wild camping is allowed. Wild camping is allowed under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code: small groups, no more than three nights in one place, well away from buildings and roads, not in fields of crops or farm animals, leave no trace; Scottish Canals offers free pitches along the Caledonian Canal.

24.9 km without a bedCamping17Huts0Hostels14Rooms113Stage 1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Stage 5Stage 60 km122.1 km

Places to sleep along the route

Ticks
One per place to sleep: 17 campsites, 0 huts, 14 hostels, 113 guest houses
Counted
Within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end (stage towns often lie off the trail); no hotels or day shelters
Shaded
The longest stretch without any, km 93.7–118.6
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list closed ones, so book or check locally

Water & Supply

Clean water

This trail
26.6 km without clean water, km 92.7–119.3, stage 6
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Within 500 m: 11 taps, fountains and drinking springs, 5 places to sleep with drinking water, 86 refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites
Refills
Guests come first and many close out of season: ask, and carry a little extra. Places marked without drinking water are left out
Source
OpenStreetMap; the counts include the approach and variant, the chart shows the main route

26.6kmScarce

Any water

This trail
26.2 km without any water, km 93.1–119.3
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Clean water, plus the 1 springs within 500 m
Keep in mind
Spring water's quality is unknown: filter, boil or treat it, and expect some springs to run dry in late summer

26.2kmScarce

Shops

This trail
51.1 km without a shop, km 4.9–56
Counted
58 supermarkets, convenience and general stores and petrol station shops, within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end
Keep in mind
Small village shops are often missing in OpenStreetMap, and opening hours vary: check before relying on one

51.1km
Water · 26.2 km withoutPublic drinking water · 28 km withoutSprings (treat before drinking) · 93.1 km withoutRefills at places to sleep · 26.6 km withoutShops · 51.1 km withoutSupermarkets · 87.5 km withoutConvenience and general stores · 51.1 km withoutPetrol station shops · 90.6 km withoutStage 1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Stage 5Stage 60 km122.1 km

Water and shops along the route

Ticks
One per place along the main route
Counted
Drinking water and springs within 500 m; refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites within 500 m; shops within 1 km, or 3 km of a stage's end
Shaded
Each lane's longest stretch without. "Water" counts every kind and opens into one lane per kind, each with its own
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list ones that have closed or run dry, so check locally

Wildlife

Wildlife

Shows
Animals that can be dangerous to hikers on this trail: large animals, venomous snakes, scorpions and spiders, ticks, and plants that harm on touch
Level
Ours, read from the official source
High
A bite of a species it calls common can be life-threatening within hours
Moderate
It warns of attacks or serious harm, or places the trail in a risk area for tick-borne encephalitis
Low
The harm is mostly minor or treatable, or avoidable by how you behave
What to do
From the official source: NHS
Pictures
Silhouettes from PhyloPic, not to scale, each maker named with its advice; the landscape is the trail's own, drawn by us

TicksLow

Ticks (Lyme disease)

Low danger

Ticks that can carry Lyme disease live all over the UK, in woods and long grass; the NHS names grassy and wooded areas in southern England and the Scottish Highlands as high-risk areas.

If you meet one

  • Cover your skin while walking and tuck your trousers into your socks
  • Use insect repellent on your clothes and skin; products containing DEET are best
  • Stay on clear paths whenever possible
  • Wear light-coloured clothing so ticks are easier to see and brush off
  • Remove a tick with fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool: grasp it as close to the skin as possible, pull slowly upwards, then clean the bite
  • Get an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 if, within 3 months of a bite, you feel unwell with flu-like symptoms or a round or oval rash appears

Don't

  • Squeeze or crush the tick when you remove it

Advice: NHS. Level: ours. Silhouette: Guillaume Dera (Ixodes ricinus), PhyloPic, public domain.