Just booked a train to Fort William and several nights' accommodation along the way. I am officially committed. I leave on Thursday and start walking on Friday!
An explanation: the Great Glen Way is a long-distance route that runs southwest to northeast for 73 miles, from Fort William to Inverness. It is so called because it runs the length of the Great Glen, a valley formed by plate tectonics which pretty much divides Scotland in two. There are four lochs in the Great Glen, connected by the Caledonian Canal: Loch Linnhe, Loch Lochy, Loch Oich, and Loch Ness. It is possible to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea via these lochs and the Canal.
I'm planning to take 6 days to walk the GGW, with overnight stops in Gairlochy, South Laggan, Fort Augustus, Glenmoriston, Drumnadrochit, and finally Inverness. Most of these legs are between 10 and 12 miles in length, with the exception of the last one (Drumnadrochit to Inverness), which is 18 miles. I'm quite nervous about that one and would split it up if I could, taking 7 days in all rather than 6, but there are very few places to stay between Drum and Inverness and none at all cheaper than 50 quid per night. So I'm sucking it up and hoping for the best. Surely after 5 days of steady walking, 18 miles in a day won't be too bad?
I have accommodation booked everywhere except Gairlochy and Inverness. There seems to be a dearth of places to stay in Gairlochy, and the one place I've contacted so far (selected for its proximity to the GGW) hasn't gotten back to me. There are more places in Spean Bridge, some of which do pick-ups and drop-offs on the GGW, but I'd prefer to avoid that logistical hassle if I can. I haven't booked accommodation in Inverness yet because I think I might want to swing over to Stromeferry for a couple of days, rather than going straight back to Edinburgh. Still thinking about it.
And now I have to plan what to pack. Stay tuned...
Cheers, y'all.
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