How Long Does the Great Glen Way Route Take?
The Great Glen Way route stretches approximately 120 km (75 miles) from Fort William to Inverness, following the natural fault line of the Great Glen through the Scottish Highlands. How long it takes depends entirely on how you choose to travel it. Based on averaging 8 hours a day on the trail, here's what to expect.
Most walkers complete the Great Glen Way as a self-guided walk in 10 to 13 days, averaging around 9 to 12 miles per day with comfortable overnight stops in villages and towns along the way. This is the classic pace, unhurried enough to soak in the stunning Highland scenery, enjoy a dram at the end of each day, and still feel the satisfying pull of progress through the glen.
For those who move light and fast, fastpacking the Great Glen Way in around 8 days is a popular challenge. Covering 15 to 16 miles a day with a stripped-back pack, fastpackers experience the route with a different kind of intensity, longer days on the trail and bigger transitions between landscapes.
At the sharp end, experienced trail runners tackle the entire route in as few as 5 days, running significant distances daily across some of Scotland's most beautiful terrain. It's a serious undertaking that combines endurance, mountain skills, and mental resilience.
Our planner lets you adjust daily hours and speed profile to find the perfect schedule for however you choose to travel.
