A long-distance trail that follows canal towpaths and loch shores, so the going stays gentle throughout
Scotland gets split almost in two by a dead-straight fault line running from coast to coast, and the Great Glen Way follows it for 127 kilometres between Fort William and Inverness. What makes it a friendly introduction to multi-day walking is the ground underfoot: long stretches trace the towpath of the Caledonian Canal or forestry tracks above Loch Ness, so there’s very little in the way of technical terrain, even if a few sections do climb up into forest to avoid the road.
The canal itself is worth slowing down for near the start: a chain of locks lifts boats up from sea level not far out of Fort William, engineered by Thomas Telford in the early 1800s, and it’s a pleasant, level stretch to ease into the walk on. From there the route settles alongside Loch Ness, with hills rising above the far shore and plenty of chances to keep half an eye on the water, monster or not.
Because it runs point to point with plenty of towns along the way — Fort Augustus and Drumnadrochit among them — it splits naturally into day-sized chunks, so there’s no need to commit to the whole thing in one trip. Public transport links back to a start point are reasonably good by Highland standards, which takes some of the logistical worry out of planning it. Paddlers cover much of the same ground on the water via the Great Glen Canoe Trail, if a change of pace ever appeals.
Weather in the Great Glen can turn showery with little warning, so decent waterproofs are worth having even though the terrain looks easy, and good boots or trail shoes will serve better than trainers over five or six days. Midges are a genuine consideration in summer, so it’s worth packing repellent alongside the map.
