3-Day Great Glen Way Route Itinerary — Trail Runner Pace
A weekend blitz for experienced endurance athletes
Three days of trail running across the Great Glen Way, averaging 40 km per day with 5–8 hours of moving time. This is a serious undertaking that demands endurance, good navigation, and a light pack. The mix of canal towpaths, forest tracks, and highland moorland provides varied running with enough technical terrain to keep things interesting.
3
Days
120 km
75 mi
1,788m
Total Ascent
Total Walking Time
🚶 Want to customise this plan?
Use our free planner to adjust the pace, start date, and daily hours to create your own personalised itinerary. See an interactive map and downloadable GPX route files for every stage.
Day-by-Day Route Breakdown
Day 1: Fort William → Bridge of Oich
45.6 km / 28.3 mi · 470m↑ · 440m↓ ·A long but largely flat opening day. Run out of Fort William along the Caledonian Canal, past Neptune's Staircase, through Gairlochy and along the full length of Loch Lochy. The canal towpaths and forest tracks are fast and runnable. Continue past Laggan Locks and along Loch Oich to finish at Bridge of Oich.
Day 2: Bridge of Oich → Drumnadrochit
43 km / 26.7 mi · 827m↑ · 823m↓ ·The toughest day with the most elevation. Run through Fort Augustus, then tackle the hilly sections above Loch Ness through Inchnacardoch Forest and Invermoriston. The second half climbs and descends repeatedly through forest and open ground before dropping past Urquhart Castle into Drumnadrochit.
Day 3: Drumnadrochit → Inverness
31.4 km / 19.5 mi · 491m↑ · 512m↓ ·The shortest day but don't underestimate it. Climb to Abriachan's viewpoint for the last big panorama over Loch Ness, cross the exposed moorland section, then enjoy a fast descent through woodland to the canal. Follow the River Ness into Inverness for a strong finish at the castle.
We hope you have found this information helpful. If you need any help with booking your adventure, including accommodation and bag transfer:
Visit Big Trail Adventures →
Other Great Glen Way Route Itineraries
Great Glen Way 5-Day Hiker Route Itinerary
The classic route at a comfortable walking pace through Scotland's Great Glen
Great Glen Way 4-Day Fastpacker Route Itinerary
Covering more ground each day with a lighter pack and stronger legs
📍 Customised Plans
Create your own personalised Great Glen Way itinerary with our free planner