The Great Glen Way is a long distance footpath in Scotland. It follows the Great Glen (series of glens/valleys), running from Fort William in the west to Inverness in the east. So you will be following the banks of Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and Loch Ness on a coast to coast hike. Despite this, you have to keep in mind that this is not a flat hike with no ascents. The latter part of the route climbs to over 300m above the waters of Loch Ness, so you will need to be quite fit to complete the route.
The trail covers 73 miles (117 kilometres). It was opened in 2002 and is one of Scotland's four long distance routes. The Great Glen Way is generally walked from west to east to follow the direction of the prevailing wind. It can be walked in 5-6 days, staying overnight in the various communities within the Glen. The Great Glen Way is not as known as the popular West Highland Way, so it has far fewer trekkers. Therefore, it makes a good choice if you enjoy some space and peace. For trekkers who have already completed the West Highland Way, the Great Glen Way provides a new challenge with very different scenery.
In terms of difficulty, the Great Glen Way is a little bit easier than the West Highland Way. Although you still need to be fit in a reasonable way to do the route. The underfoot terrain is better, there are less climbs and the route is around 20 miles shorter than the West Highland Way. In general it suits all levels of walker.
If you think the West Highland Way might be too challenging, you better do the Great Glen Way. You can always do the West Highland another time.
Highlights of this trekking:
* Enjoy moderate hiking on good trails as you hike from village to village through this spectacular geological fault line
* Traverse Scotland from coast to coast on a rewarding hiking journey through deep glens and past dramatic mountain ranges
* Taking in the amazing views across Loch Ness