Highland loch and hills seen across a grassy foreground under broken cloud

Section 3 of 6

Laggan Locks to Fort Augustus

Photo by Emilie Crassard on Unsplash

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GPX Plan
  • On trail 10.7 mi 17.2 km
  • Walking time 4–5 h
  • Ascent 320 m 1,050 ft
  • Descent 330 m 1,100 ft
  • Difficulty Easy

The old railway along Loch Oich, then the canal into the village.

Section 3: Laggan Locks to Fort Augustus map

Two fingers to pan. Scrub the profile to follow the walk.

Cross-check: official stage page . Opened 19 October 2026. The distance at the top of this page is measured between these ends. The climb comes from the track file, which runs higher than the published totals for the glen.

The walk

This is the easy section between two harder ones. You follow Loch Oich on the old railway, then the canal towpath into Fort Augustus. The village has beds, shops, and pubs. On the 6-day you stop here, and the climb waits until the morning. On the shorter plans the village is lunch, and you climb the same afternoon.

  1. Start of section

    Laggan Locks

    57.0259, -4.8251 Google Maps for Laggan Locks (opens in a new tab)

  2. Loch Oich

    The old railway along the loch, on National Cycle Network 78. It is the easy day between the forest track and the climb, which is why the 6-day stops at the end of it.

  3. The canal into the village

    The towpath brings you into Fort Augustus. Shops and pubs are here. On a faster plan this is lunch, not a bed.

  4. End of section

    Fort Augustus

    57.1431, -4.6816 Google Maps for Fort Augustus (opens in a new tab)

Section 3: Laggan Locks to Fort Augustus overview

The ground

  • Old railway
  • Loch Oich
  • Canal

Old railway and canal. The climb is the next section. The gentlest walking after the opening towpath. The 5-day, the 4-day, and the 3-day all walk through Fort Augustus, because they put the climb on this same day.

Stops

Refreshments

  • Fort Augustus has shops and pubs. Nothing on the official page names a stop on the loch before the village

Toilets

  • No source used for this section names a public toilet

Before you go

Opposite direction

Fort Augustus to Laggan Locks

You leave Fort Augustus on the canal, with the climb toward Loch Ness already behind you. The old railway takes you back along Loch Oich to the locks.

End of section

Laggan Locks

57.0259, -4.8251 Google Maps for Laggan Locks (opens in a new tab)

Laggan Locks to Fort Augustus FAQ

How long is Laggan Locks to Fort Augustus?

The trail body's stage page lists 12.1 miles (19.5 km). The distance at the top of this page is measured on our line between the locks and the village.

Should I stop in Fort Augustus?

On the 6-day, yes. Ending here leaves the climb for the morning. On the 5-day, the 4-day, and the 3-day the village is lunch, and the climb is the same afternoon.

Walk this as a day

Day 3 on the 6-day ends here, so the climb is the next morning. Open the planner on that preset, then export a full-trip or per-day GPX.

Open in planner Read the 6-day itinerary

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