What is this 6-day itinerary?
Six days is the Great Glen Way walked as its own stages, canal first, with the prevailing wind behind you. Loch Oich stays an easy walk into the village, and the climb out of Fort Augustus is a short morning. The last day is the long one, into Inverness, and this plan walks it in one go. It is the pace for a first full walk of the glen.
Read the Great Glen Way guide for the whole trail.
Will this 6-day split work for you?
- A first full walk. The trail body says 4 to 7 days, and these are its six stages.
- Walkers who want the climb out of Fort Augustus on a fresh morning, not at the end of a long day.
- Book Spean Bridge and South Laggan first. Those two nights are the thin ones.
Fitness & effort
You should be happy walking for a week on towpath, forest track, and loch shore, with one short steep morning and one long day at the end. The glen is low for most of the way. After Fort Augustus it undulates, and the high route has a few very steep bits. Take a map and a compass up there. Phones do not work everywhere. There is no scrambling. If a hilly day at home is comfortable, and you can back it up the next morning, six days is realistic.
Your 6-day route on the map
Wind behind you
Fort William to Inverness in 6 days
Fort William to Inverness, so the prevailing wind is behind you and the canal comes first.
| Day | Stage | Distance | Overnight / destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Fort William → Spean Bridge | 10.5 mi (16.8 km) | The Old Laundry (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 | Spean Bridge → South Laggan | 11.9 mi (19.1 km) | The Great Glen Hostel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 3 | South Laggan → Fort Augustus | 11.0 mi (17.7 km) | Richmond House Hotel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 4 | Fort Augustus → Invermoriston | 6.4 mi (10.3 km) | Glenmoriston Arms (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 5 | Invermoriston → Drumnadrochit | 15.5 mi (24.9 km) | Loch Ness Drumnadrochit Hotel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 6 Longest | Drumnadrochit → Inverness | 18.7 mi (30.1 km) | Great Glen Way Finish |
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Day 1
Fort William to Spean Bridge
10.5 mi (16.8 km) ↑ 80 m (250 ft) ↓ 60 m (200 ft)
You leave under Ben Nevis, climb Neptune's Staircase, and the towpath does the rest. Gairlochy has few beds and no shop, so the night is Spean Bridge, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) off the Way, and some beds collect by car. That detour is the end of the day, kinder than walking it after Loch Lochy. Book this night with South Laggan. The forest track belongs to tomorrow.
Example stay The Old Laundry (opens in a new tab)
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Day 2
Spean Bridge to South Laggan
11.9 mi (19.1 km) ↑ 610 m (2,000 ft) ↓ 600 m (1,950 ft)
You rejoin the Way at Gairlochy and take the forest track beside Loch Lochy. A hydro diversion is in place until about 2030 and adds 600 m. This plan keeps the loch as its own day, rather than joining it to the canal. The night is thin, on an A road with a 60 mph limit and no footpath, so book it early. The shop is in Invergarry, 4 miles (6.4 km) further on, and this plan does not walk there.
Example stay The Great Glen Hostel (opens in a new tab)
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Day 3
South Laggan to Fort Augustus
11.0 mi (17.7 km) ↑ 330 m (1,100 ft) ↓ 340 m (1,100 ft)
Loch Oich on the old railway, then the canal, and you stop when the village arrives. That stop is what the six-day is for. The climb out of the village waits until the morning, on fresh legs, instead of the end of this afternoon. Shops and pubs are here when you finish. The five-day walks through. Keep this afternoon free, and do not spend the evening on the climb.
Example stay Richmond House Hotel (opens in a new tab)
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Day 4
Fort Augustus to Invermoriston
6.4 mi (10.3 km) ↑ 710 m (2,350 ft) ↓ 590 m (1,950 ft)
A short day, and it should stay short. The low route keeps to the forest. The high route climbs steeply, with views over Loch Ness, and then drops to the village. Either is enough. Walking on would join this ground to the longer Loch Ness day, which is the five-day plan, not this one. Eat here. The View-Catcher is tomorrow. The long day into Inverness is the one after.
Example stay Glenmoriston Arms (opens in a new tab)
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Day 5
Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit
15.5 mi (24.9 km) ↑ 1,060 m (3,500 ft) ↓ 1,160 m (3,800 ft)
The longer of the two Loch Ness days, with a morning of its own, which is what this plan protects. The high route reaches 420 m, the second highest point on the Way, and passes the View-Catcher. Halfway along, a path drops to beds at Altsigh if the day is going wrong. Into the village, a new path has replaced almost all of the old road, with one short stretch still on the public road. Sleep here. Tomorrow does not get shorter if you arrive late.
Example stay Loch Ness Drumnadrochit Hotel (opens in a new tab)
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Day 6 Longest
Drumnadrochit to Inverness
18.7 mi (30.1 km) ↑ 680 m (2,250 ft) ↓ 690 m (2,250 ft)
The longest official stage, walked in one day. A longer holiday taxis out and back to the same bed. That loop is not a night on this plan, so you walk through Abriachan, which has only a few beds. The first mile is pavement beside the A82, mostly at 60 mph, then the climb through the woods. The high route reaches 434 m, the highest point on the Way. Carry food from the village. The finish is the castle, by the Ness Islands and the river.
Finish Great Glen Way Finish
Cross-check: official routes page . The six stage pages are the cross-check. Distances on the cards are from our trail geometry, not their mile table. 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 6 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 Longest | 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 → Fort Augustus | 6.4 mi (10.3 km) | Richmond House Hotel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 4 | Fort Augustus → South Laggan | 11.0 mi (17.7 km) | The Great Glen Hostel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 5 | South Laggan → Spean Bridge | 11.9 mi (19.1 km) | The Old Laundry (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 6 | Spean Bridge → Fort William | 10.5 mi (16.8 km) | Fort William |
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Day 1 Longest
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)
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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)
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Day 3
Invermoriston to Fort Augustus
6.4 mi (10.3 km) ↑ 590 m (1,950 ft) ↓ 710 m (2,350 ft)
The high or low route comes first, and the steep pull is now a walk down into the village. Take the high route if you want the view over the loch before you drop. The locks and the canal are the end of the day.
Example stay Richmond House Hotel (opens in a new tab)
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Day 4
Fort Augustus to South Laggan
11.0 mi (17.7 km) ↑ 340 m (1,100 ft) ↓ 330 m (1,100 ft)
You leave on the canal, with the climb toward Loch Ness already behind you. The old railway runs along Loch Oich. The finish is the A road, and there is no footpath there.
Example stay The Great Glen Hostel (opens in a new tab)
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Day 5
South Laggan to Spean Bridge
11.9 mi (19.1 km) ↑ 600 m (1,950 ft) ↓ 610 m (2,000 ft)
The A road comes first, then the forest track leads back along Loch Lochy. The diversion is still there until about 2030. At Gairlochy you leave the Way, so the off-route miles are the end of the day.
Example stay The Old Laundry (opens in a new tab)
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Day 6
Spean Bridge to Fort William
10.5 mi (16.8 km) ↑ 60 m (200 ft) ↓ 80 m (250 ft)
The morning is the 4.5 miles back to the canal at Gairlochy. Then the towpath runs downhill through Neptune's Staircase. Ben Nevis is ahead as you come into town.
Finish Fort William
6-day itinerary FAQ
Is six days the right length?
For a first full walk, yes. The trail body says 4 to 7 days, and six is its own stages, one a day. The climb out of Fort Augustus stays a short morning, and the last day is the long one. Five days walks through Fort Augustus. Four joins the canal to Loch Lochy. Three is a fast full walk, outside that range.
Which day is the hard one?
The last day, from Drumnadrochit to Inverness. It is the longest official stage, it starts with a mile of pavement beside the A82, and the high route reaches 434 m in the Abriachan woods. The climb out of Fort Augustus is real, and on this plan it is the short day, so you meet it on fresh legs.
Do I need to book the nights?
Yes. Book Spean Bridge and South Laggan first. Gairlochy has few beds and no shop, and South Laggan sits on an A road with little choice. Fort Augustus, Drumnadrochit, Fort William, and Inverness have more beds. The safety advice is to book ahead.
Can I get my bag carried?
Yes, from about mid-March to late October. A bag a day is usually £10–25. One service runs Fort William to Inverness only, so a bag toward Fort William is not guaranteed until you check. Book the bed before the bag. Prices and dates change.
Can I download a GPX for the 6-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 6-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.
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Full-trip and per-day GPX files. Free, no account.
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