What is this 4-day itinerary?
Four days is as short as the Great Glen Way's own range goes, and it is still a full walk of the glen. You stay on the Way through Gairlochy, so the towpath and the forest track beside Loch Lochy are a single day. The day after that still has the steep ground after lunch in Fort Augustus. People who want that climb on fresh legs take the longer plan.
Read the Great Glen Way guide for the whole trail.
Will this 4-day split work for you?
- Fit walkers. Four days is the short end of the trail body's own range.
- People happy to pass Gairlochy and keep walking, instead of leaving the Way for Spean Bridge.
- A first full walk fits the 6-day better. This plan puts the climb at the end of day two.
Fitness & effort
You should already be happy on long days. The first joins two easy stages, canal then forest track, and the second ends with the climb out of Fort Augustus after Loch Oich. The third is the longer walk above Loch Ness, and the fourth is the long stage into Inverness. Nothing in the four days is a rest. Take the six-day if you want the climb on its own morning, or the five-day if you only want the canal split back.
Your 4-day route on the map
Wind behind you
Fort William to Inverness in 4 days
Fort William to Inverness, so the prevailing wind is behind you and the canal comes first.
| Day | Stage | Distance | Overnight / destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 Longest | Fort William → South Laggan | 22.3 mi (35.9 km) | The Great Glen Hostel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 | South Laggan → Invermoriston | 17.4 mi (28.1 km) | Glenmoriston Arms (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 3 | Invermoriston → Drumnadrochit | 15.5 mi (24.9 km) | Loch Ness Drumnadrochit Hotel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 4 | Drumnadrochit → Inverness | 18.7 mi (30.1 km) | Great Glen Way Finish |
-
Day 1 Longest
Fort William to South Laggan
22.3 mi (35.9 km) ↑ 690 m (2,250 ft) ↓ 660 m (2,150 ft)
The two easy stages become one, which is the fast plan. Towpath and Neptune's Staircase to Gairlochy, then the forest track along Loch Lochy. A hydro diversion until about 2030 adds 600 m. You pass Gairlochy, where the beds are few and there is no shop. Spean Bridge is the night the longer plans use, and this one does not leave the Way for it. The finish is the A road. Book that night first.
Example stay The Great Glen Hostel (opens in a new tab)
-
Day 2
South Laggan to Invermoriston
17.4 mi (28.1 km) ↑ 1,040 m (3,400 ft) ↓ 930 m (3,050 ft)
You already walked the canal yesterday, so this day starts on Loch Oich with the climb still to come. The old railway and the towpath bring you into Fort Augustus for lunch, and the steep ground is the afternoon. That is two long days back to back, which is the cost of four days. The low route stays in the forest. The high route is the steep one, with views over the loch. Eat properly before you climb.
Example stay Glenmoriston Arms (opens in a new tab)
-
Day 3
Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit
15.5 mi (24.9 km) ↑ 1,060 m (3,500 ft) ↓ 1,160 m (3,800 ft)
The shorter of the Loch Ness days, set between two longer ones. You are past the climb out of Fort Augustus. High route or low. The high route reaches 420 m and passes the View-Catcher, and Altsigh is there if you need to drop down. A new path has replaced almost all of the old road into the village. Use the shops. Tomorrow starts on the A82 and does not let up.
Example stay Loch Ness Drumnadrochit Hotel (opens in a new tab)
-
Day 4
Drumnadrochit to Inverness
18.7 mi (30.1 km) ↑ 680 m (2,250 ft) ↓ 690 m (2,250 ft)
The longest official stage, on the last morning of a fast plan. Pavement beside the A82 for the first mile, mostly at 60 mph, then the woods. The high route reaches 434 m, the highest point on the Way. Abriachan has only a few beds, and this plan walks through. Carry food from the village you left. The castle, the Ness Islands, and the river are the finish.
Finish Great Glen Way Finish
Cross-check: official routes page . Four days is inside the range on that page. This plan joins the first two stages, then Laggan to Invermoriston. Distances on the cards are from our trail geometry. The climb on each card comes from the track file, which runs higher than the published totals for the glen.
Toward Fort William
Inverness to Fort William in 4 days
The same nights, starting in Inverness. The climbs out of Drumnadrochit, Invermoriston, and Fort Augustus become descents.
| Day | Stage | Distance | Overnight / destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Inverness → Drumnadrochit | 18.7 mi (30.1 km) | Loch Ness Drumnadrochit Hotel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 | Drumnadrochit → Invermoriston | 15.5 mi (24.9 km) | Glenmoriston Arms (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 3 | Invermoriston → South Laggan | 17.4 mi (28.1 km) | The Great Glen Hostel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 4 Longest | South Laggan → Fort William | 22.3 mi (35.9 km) | Fort William |
-
Day 1
Inverness to Drumnadrochit
18.7 mi (30.1 km) ↑ 690 m (2,250 ft) ↓ 680 m (2,250 ft)
The castle, the river, and the Ness Islands are the start. The high route still reaches 434 m, in the Abriachan woods, and Abriachan is a pass-through. The day ends with the steep drop and that mile of pavement beside the A82.
Example stay Loch Ness Drumnadrochit Hotel (opens in a new tab)
-
Day 2
Drumnadrochit to Invermoriston
15.5 mi (24.9 km) ↑ 1,160 m (3,800 ft) ↓ 1,060 m (3,500 ft)
The new path comes first, with one short stretch still on the public road. Then you climb the high or low route, so 420 m is a pull rather than a descent. The View-Catcher sits near the end of the day.
Example stay Glenmoriston Arms (opens in a new tab)
-
Day 3
Invermoriston to South Laggan
17.4 mi (28.1 km) ↑ 930 m (3,050 ft) ↓ 1,040 m (3,400 ft)
The high or low route comes first, and you drop into Fort Augustus before the canal. Loch Oich and the old railway fill the rest of the walk. The finish is the A road, with no footpath.
Example stay The Great Glen Hostel (opens in a new tab)
-
Day 4 Longest
South Laggan to Fort William
22.3 mi (35.9 km) ↑ 660 m (2,150 ft) ↓ 690 m (2,250 ft)
The A road comes first, then the forest track leads back along Loch Lochy, diversion included. Gairlochy is a pass-through. The towpath and Neptune's Staircase run down into town, under Ben Nevis.
Finish Fort William
4-day itinerary FAQ
Is four days an official pace?
Yes. The trail body says 4 to 7 days. Four is the short end of that range. You pass Gairlochy and join the canal to Loch Lochy, and you still climb after lunch on the way to Invermoriston. Three days is faster than the official range.
Why skip Spean Bridge?
Spean Bridge is 4.5 miles (7.2 km) off the Way, used because Gairlochy has few beds and no shop. On four days you stay on the towpath and the forest track and sleep at South Laggan instead. Book that night first. It is on an A road, and the beds are few.
Where does the climb fall?
At the end of day two. Loch Oich and the canal are the morning, Fort Augustus is lunch, and the high route or the forest path is the afternoon. On the six-day that same climb is the next morning, on its own.
Can I download a GPX for the 4-day Great Glen Way?
Yes. Open this itinerary in the planner (free, no account). Download a full-route GPX or per-day files for Garmin, Komoot, or your phone. You can export the preset unchanged or edit overnight stops first.
Personalise this itinerary
This 4-day itinerary is ready as it stands. Open it in the planner to keep these stops, or change where you sleep, then download the GPX for your watch or phone.
Open in planner Back to the comparison
Full-trip and per-day GPX files. Free, no account.
Explore
