5-day Great Glen Way Cycling Holiday

Make your own way to Fort William. There are traces left of the original fort built to keep the dreaded Highlanders at bay.

Today the town is the “Chamonix” of Scotland with a proliferation of outdoor shops, cafes, bookshops and bars. If you have an extra night and you are an experienced hill walker, you could climb Ben Nevis (Scotland's highest mountain), or take a boat trip to Seal Island to see the grey seals loitering around.

Meet your hire bike and once you are familiar with its functions, follow the Great Glen Way markers from the ruins of Fort William. Roll out passing underneath the mass of Ben Nevis and past an even older castle fortress at Inverlochy, which is worth a browse. Afther the loch, join the tow path to the famous Caledonian Canal. Via various natural lochs and man-made canal sections, this runs all the way through Inverness and into the Moray Firth.

You shortly ascend gently by the watery escalator of eight locks known as 'Neptune's Staircase'. They bring the boats up or down to or from sea level. You could have a break in South Laggan here, as an old Dutch sailing barge doubles as pub/restaurant nearby on the canal. The bike trail leaves the walking path at this point and heads up into the forest above the loch before you descend through trees into the village of Invergarry which has a castle.

Challenge: 42 km / 26 mi, 450 m ascent

After breakfast, tackle your first steep hill on the climb behind Invergarry up through Nursery Woods, with commanding views of Loch Oich wherever there are breaks in the trees. Your cycling route returns to the loch and then undulates on a single track through the woods to cross the beautiful chain-tapered suspension bridge built in 1854.

Here you rejoin the Caledonian Canal towpath and the Great Glen walking trail. This pretty and relaxing section gives you time to rest your legs along the towpath to Fort Augustus. Once in Loch Ness, you might fancy the idea of locking up your bike and take a pleasure cruise on the loch to see the famed but normally rare monster. Either way, Fort Augustus is a good place to snack up before ascending back into the forest above the loch on the fire roads. Up and down, you will reach the unusual Scottish village with a green called Drumnadrochit. It has been a long day of cycling, but if you have the time and inclination you can cycle a couple of kms extra to Urqhart Castle, one of the most dramatically situated in Scotland.

Challenge: 48 km / 29 mi, 940 m ascent

The first part of today's cycling day climbs sharply out of Drumnadrochit away from Loch Ness through forest and up some 370 metres around the flanks of 'Carn na Leitire.' You then descend past Loch Laide to join minor roads and forest tracks deeper into the hills and fields that surround the Great Glen. The route takes you through beautiful remote moorland and wooded countryside then begins the descent into Inverness, along the River Ness. This is an attractive and interesting small city which has a slight frontier feel to it. You will have earned to relax and celebrate completing the Great Glen Cycle route.

Challenge: 39 km / 24 mi, 480 m ascent

Depart Inverness for your onward travel.