Welcome to Fort William! Your adventure starts here. Fort William lies at the foot of Ben Nevis; the UK’s highest peak, and serves as our gateway into the Great Glen. A large supermarket and a main street full of outdoor shops should meet your every last minute shopping needs. If you’re keen on a hearty meal, there are plenty of restaurants to choose from in town, too. Don’t forget to pick up your trusty bike before you settle in for the evening!

Enjoy your rest and get ready for a stunning day of cycling tomorrow!

Distance: 44.3km / Elevation gain: +345m

Your first day of cycling is one of the flattest and acts as the perfect warm up ride. After leaving Fort William and the neighbouring Inverlochy, you set your intentions on the adventure ahead and point your front wheel due North East. Take a moment to appreciate the Neptune Staircase lock system – an engineering masterpiece, before pedaling your worries away along miles of tranquil canal side gravel paths. Ancient forests and stunning views over Loch Lochy await you next with ample lunch spots to choose from. Skirt the final hillside and descend into Invergarry – your home for the night. Enjoy a well earned meal and a good night’s sleep!

Distance: 48.3km / Elevation gain: +798m

Today’s section is one of the longest and hilliest of the route, but with it comes many rewards. A short pedal along the A82 brings you back into the woods and along the hillside above Loch Oich. Descending back to the water, you will follow the Caledonian Canal for several kilometres until you reach Fort Augustus and the shores of the famous Loch Ness. Why not tie up the bikes to explore the wee town and a grab bite to eat? 

Undulating forest roads lead you to your next destination – Invermoriston. Another opportunity to rest the muscles and step off track to have a good look at Invermoriston falls and the stone circle nearby. 

A big climb awaits, and soon after the choice to take the High or Low route on your next leg. We highly recommend opting for the Low route on the bike as the high section is best suited for those on foot. The biggest hills of the day are saved for the last half, so pace yourself and take as much rest as you need (this is where the Electric Mountain Bikes really come in handy!). 

A final, speedy road and short woodland section bring you into Drumnadrochit and your home for the evening. A lovely place to spend the night, absorbing your accomplishments of the day.

Distance: 36.3km / Elevation gain: +493m

While significantly shorter than the first 2 days, plenty of challenging climbing awaits you in the first half of your ride, but what goes up must come down, and you will be treated to plenty of glorious downhill riding. 

Be prepared to get off your bike and push up the technical hilly sections of the route if they prove too challenging, but there is great news in the form of cake, tea and coffee at the end of the hardest part. Do consider dropping into the wonderful Abrachian Forest campsite outdoor cafe on your way through – surprises await you!

The rest of the ride into the highland Capital involves a real treat in downhill cycling. Your final few kilometres through Inverness culminate in a visit to the foot of majestic Inverness castle. Enjoy your evening in the beautiful city before turning your bike around in the opposite direction.

Distance: 55.2km / Elevation gain: +512m

Your fourth day in the saddle takes you along the glorious Southern side of Loch Ness, via a combination the South Loch Ness Trail and Route 78 of the UK’s National Cycle network. Be sure to absorb the views across the water – at the hills you cycled across over the last few days!

The route quietens down quickly once you are out of the city and with the majority of today’s cycling being on a good road surface, the miles fly by. Keep an eye out for squirrels darting across the path – they’re very common on this side of the lake! The trail sections of today’s ride are stunning and have a distinctly different feel to their northern counterparts.

Once you are out of Foyers, you steadily start to climb to the highest point of the day. From here, prepare for the most exhilarating descent of the trip into Fort Augustus – ending your day on a cyclist’s high!

Distance: 57km / Elevation gain: +382m

It’s your final day. After a challenging ride yesterday, you’ll be treated to far more forgiving terrain as you return to your starting point in Fort William. Remember those pristine canal side paths? A sense of fond familiarity coupled with relishing the views that you previously had your back to make for a lovely end to a great feat – traversing an entire country twice in one sitting! 

Roll back into Fort William with a newfound and intimate connection to one of Europe’s most beautiful Glens.

Your Great Glen Way: Out and Back tour ends here with memories that will last a lifetime!