Cycling the Great Glen Way with Kids

Jul 8

Earlier this year, I had a business trip scheduled to Edinburgh to meet with my friends at Codebase. The trip happened to coincide with my son’s spring school break, so I decided to take him along for the week.

I wanted to make sure we did more than just stay in the city for our trip, so I started researching off-the-beaten-path adventures that might appeal to my energetic 9 year old. Eventually, I came across the Great Glen Way, a scenic 79 mile (127 km) trail from Fort William to Inverness in Scotland’s famed Highlands. The path starts at the base of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain, and runs north-east along the Caladonian Canal and alongside some of the country’s famous lochs (notably Loch Ness).

My son does a lot of mountain biking. Growing up between Vancouver and San Francisco, he can frequently be found climbing Mount Tam, exploring the trails above Mount Seymour or bombing down Grouse Mountain. While a 79 mile mountain bike ride might seem unrealistic to many, given that he regularly does rides of 10 miles or more after school, the Great Glen Way seemed like an appropriate — albeit challenging — adventure.

The Great Glen Way is mostly promoted as a hiking trail, but it’s becoming increasingly popular with mountain bikers. There are bike shops in both Fort William and Inverness that rent bikes (“bike hires”) for one-way journeys.

Unfortunately, it was very difficult for me to find detailed descriptions on what to expect — particularly as it related to kids. I stumbled upon a few blog posts with photos of proud parents with their youngsters and some brief commentary scattered across social media sites, but nothing that really laid out whether or not the Great Glen Way is actually kid-appropriate.

Nonetheless, we took the plunge and decided to go for it. And now that we have (successfully) completed cycling the Great Glen Way, I thought I’d share the details that I wished I had before the trip. Here are the sections if you want to skip ahead:

What is the Great Glen Way?
Is the Great Glen Way Appropriate for Kids?
Is the Great Glen Way Appropriate for Parents? (seriously)
Renting Bikes to Cycle the Great Glen Way
How to Divide the Great Glen Way into Stages when Cycling with Kids (our experience cycling the Great Glen Way)
Alternate Itineraries for Cycling the Great Glen Way (if I knew then what I know now)
Packing for Cycling the Great Glen Way
Accommodations for Cycling the Great Glen Way
Getting to/from the Great Glen Way
Weather Considerations when Cycling the Great Glen Way
Final Thoughts

With no further ado, I present to you Chris Neumann’s guide to cycling the Great Glen Way with kids!

What is the Great Glen Way?

The Great Glen Way is a 79 mile (127 km) hiking and biking path that runs between Fort William and Inverness. It was originally created as a hiking path (which is why most of the posts you find on the internet about it relate to walking). But it’s also a great path for cycling that’s increasingly popular with mountain bikers.

While it is possible to traverse the Great Glen Way in either direction, the most common route starts at Fort William on the coast and ends at the regional capital of Inverness in the north. Having completed it, I would agree that the route from Fort William to Inverness is definitely the better way for bikes.

Is the Great Glen Way Appropriate for Kids?

The Great Glen Way is not a particularly technical path from a mountain biking perspective. That said, it is not without its challenges. There are lots of inclines, some of which will likely require you to push your bike — and potentially your child’s — uphill (more on that later). If your child is not an avid bike rider and relatively athletic overall, I would hesitate to recommend this. But if they are, cycling the Great Glen Way can be a wonderful, fulfilling challenge.

At a high level, I would suggest that all participants:

Regularly and confidently ride a bike, including going up and down hills
Be able to cycle at least 10 miles on flat roads with relative ease (as a point of comparison, the Vancouver seawall is 13 miles / 22 km and takes my kids about an hour to complete)
Have some experience / familiarity with trail riding and/or mountain biking
Be able to run around and exercise for prolonged periods of time without getting tired or breaking down in tears

If this reminds you of your kids, then they might enjoy the Great Glen Way

Is the Great Glen Way Appropriate for Parents?

It’s not just the kids you have to think about!

Cycling the Great Glen Way is a legitimate workout. As I mentioned above, it’s not a particularly technical ride, but you are likely to end up with several long days of biking (potentially 6 hours or more). Moreover, unless your kids are extremely strong riders, you are going to have a few extended periods of time when you are pushing your bikes uphill (and, potentially, both your bike and theirs during some of the steeper segments). Add to that the fact that you’ll inevitably be carrying the lion’s share of any luggage and you need to be in decent shape.

I’m not nearly as avid a rider as my kids, but I do exercise regularly. I certainly felt like I earned by evening pint at the end of each day, but I never felt close to exhaustion (nor did my son).

Renting Bikes to Cycle the Great Glen Way

There are a number of bike shops that rent bikes (“bike hires”) for one-way trips to cycle the Great Glen Way. That said, not all of them have kids bikes for hire, so make sure to call in advance.

We rented from the folks at Off Beat Bikes in Fort William. They had the most rental options for kids and were very helpful in making sure we got the right equipment. Not only that, when a change in our flight caused us to arrive later than we intended, they offered to come into the shop on a day when it was closed so that we could get our bikes and not have to otherwise adjust our plans (thank you Damian! 🙏)

We rented standard hardtail mountain bikes for both of us, which came with helmets and a repair kit in case of emergency (there are also electric bike options, but since those aren’t any available for kids, it seemed silly for me to have an e-bike whilst my son was doing hard work!).

We also rented panniers (saddle bags) for my bike to carry some of our belongings. Many of the posts about cycling the Great Glen Way encourage riders to forgo panniers and make sure that they can carry everything on their back. That might be realistic if you’re a local, but if you’re coming to Scotland from abroad, chances are you have more stuff than you would want to carry on your back during a long ride. Having panniers also leaves easy room for sandwiches, drinks and extra snacks for the day.

How to Divide the Great Glen Way into Stages when Cycling with Kids

Figuring out how to divide up the stages of the Great Glen Way was one of the hardest parts of planning this trip.

Most of the articles and posts on the internet relate to hiking (which typically takes 5 - 7 days) or are clearly written for avid adult mountain bikers (generally presented as a 3-day journey). Based on our experience, I would recommend either 4 or 5 days when cycling the Great Glen Way with kids.

We broke up our journey into 4 stages/days:

Fort William to Invergarry (25.36 miles)
Invergarry to Fort Augustus (8.21 miles)
Fort Augustus to Drumnadrochit (21.68 miles)
Drumnadrochit to Inverness (21.71 miles)

Below, I go into detail on our experience with each stage. Later on, I’ll share some thoughts on alternate itineraries that I think might make sense in hindsight.

Note: all distances, elevation changes, etc. are based on data collected by my Apple Watch’s built-in Workout app. I have no clue how accurate this app is nor how it compares to dedicated cycling apps like Strava, so take all measurements with a grain of salt.

Day 1: Fort William to Invergarry

Day 1 Summary

Distance travelled: 25.36 miles
Active biking time: 4:52
Total time including breaks: 6:01
Elevation gain: 1,358 ft (415 max)
Description: The Great Glen Way from Fort William to Invergarry is mostly flat and runs alongside Loch Lochy and Loch Oich. It’s generally an easy ride and serves as a great start to the trip (though, in our case, an unexpected detour caused by public works added an extra 90 minutes to our first day).

Day 1 Experience

Our first day started late, thanks to our flight into Edinburgh being delayed. Instead of picking up our bikes the day before and leaving right after breakfast, we had to get them in the morning (shout out to Damian from Off Beat Bikes for coming in on his day off to get us setup!). After getting our equipment set and our panniers packed, we grabbed some snacks and sandwiches from a nearby shop and headed out.

Damian pointed us to the starting point of the Great Glen Way near the edge of town. We easily found the first of many light blue markers to indicate the path and we were off on our adventure!

The start of our first stage took us along Fort William’s seaside. It was about 45 minutes of easy riding until we reached the first stopping point: Neptune’s Staircase (the UK’s longest staircase-style lock). Although we had barely started cycling, it was already noon, so we decided to stop at a nearby cafe for lunch.

After lunch, we set off for the rest of our day.

The section of the Great Glen Way between Fort William and Invergarry is generally described as one of the easiest, as the majority of it runs alongside the lochs and canals. Unfortunately, there was a diversion between Gairlochy and Invergarry that made our first day more difficult than expected.

The works were definitely not completed “early in 2026”

The Great Glen Way’s website provides up-to-date details on any diversions or issues with the path, so you should check it regularly in the lead up to your trip. Unfortunately for us, the recommended alternative for cyclists was not a feasible option, as we were planning to stay in Invergarry for the night. We quickly discovered why the website stated that, “…the diversion route is a little trickier to travel on a bike”.

Our easy ride along the canals was replaced with more than an hour of pushing our bikes up a hill that was too steep for my 9 year old to ride 🤦‍♂️.

While the detour took us further up into the hills than we had expected on day one, it wasn’t all bad news. The extra elevation gave us an excuse to pull out our sidekick for the journey: a tiny DJI Mini 3 drone.

This pint-sized drone is both perfect for kids while being small and light enough to not add much weight to the journey (I kept it strapped to my bike’s rack for easy access during our travels). Throughout our trip, we took countless photos and videos, which my son later turned into a short film about his adventure.

The detour provided our first look at the lochs from above, as well as the first of many waterfalls we encountered along the Great Glen Way.

Overall, the diversion probably added 90 minutes to the trek. A little intense for the first day, but nothing we couldn’t handle. After a lengthy cruise down from the hills, we arrived at the Invergarry Hotel where we unloaded our gear and enjoyed the largest plate of fish and chips my son had ever seen.

Day 2: Invergarry to Fort Augustus

Day 2 Summary

Distance travelled: 8.21 miles
Active biking time: 1:56
Total time including breaks: 2:06
Elevation gain: 411 ft (461 max)
Description: The Great Glen Way from Invergarry to Fort Augustus is a short ride that starts in the hills just above the shore of Loch Oich and finishes alongside the canal between Loch Oich and Loch Ness. It’s a quick, easy trek that left us with plenty of time to explore the town at the southern tip of Scotland’s most famous lake.

Day 2 Experience

I intentionally planned for a light second day of cycling the Great Glen Way, as I figured that the combination of jet lag and a long first day might benefit from some rest.

Day 2 started with a short (~15 minute) uphill climb, followed by a few miles along a easy-going logging road.

At the top of the hill, we took a break to get some more video with our trusty drone. While getting our sidekick setup, we encountered the first of several unexpected “Top Gun” moments, as Royal Air Force jets ripped across the lochs on training runs.

Sadly, we did not get any photos of the RAF jets

After our break, we cruised back down to loch-level and leisurely cycled along the canals towards Loch Ness and into Fort Augustus in time for lunch.

The afternoon respite was appreciated by both of us after 24 hours of travel from North America and a full day of biking. We spent the afternoon exploring the town, sampling several of the ice cream shops along the canals and enjoying an early dinner at one of the local pubs.

Day 3: Fort Augustus to Drumnadrochit

In contrast to our leisurely Day 2, our third day of cycling was a long one (6 ½ hours cycling time / 7 ½ hours total travel time). I’ll break the recap into two parts, which I’ll revisit in the following section about alternate itineraries for cycling the Great Glen Way.

Day 3a (morning): Fort Augustus to Invermoriston
Day 3b (afternoon): Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit

Day 3 Summary

Distance travelled: 21.68 miles
Active biking time: 6:35
Total time including breaks: 7:32
Elevation gain: 3,085 ft (971 max)
Description: The Great Glen Way from Fort Augustus to Drumnadrochit consists of two sections: a mostly flat, easy ride from Fort Augustus to Invermoriston and more challenging section further up into the hills between Invermoriston and Drumnadrochit. The second section includes several extended climbs, which gave this stage the largest total elevation gain of our journey.

Day 3 Experience

The morning section from Fort Augustus to Invermoriston (“section 3a”) was relatively easy and quite similar to Day 2. There were a few ups-and-downs, but for the most part the trail tracked fairly close to loch-level.

Along the route, we encountered the first of several “forks in the road” that form part of the Great Glen Way. Each fork leads to a “high road” and a “low road” with signage that includes detailed maps and descriptions of each route. Generally speaking, the “high roads” provide better views and scenic opportunities, but require additional climbs. In contrast, the “low roads” typically follow logging roads with easier riding but miss out on some of the views. We made a point of choosing the low roads at each opportunity, mostly because it was unclear how steep the inclines were and how much extra time they would add to our journey.

We took 2 ½ hours to complete the morning section and reached Invermoriston just before noon, stopping at a local cafe for lunch. After that, we set off on the trail to Drumnadrochit (“section 3b”).

Immediately after leaving town, you head up a set of switchbacks that go on for several miles with virtually no flats. For a strong adult rider, it would be a manageable (albeit lengthy) climb. For a 9 year old, it meant extended periods pushing the bike uphill.

Once you reach the top, you’re met with a very active logging road. The ride itself became much easier at that point and there was a certain adventure to riding amongst hundreds of giant logs.

Eventually, we headed downhill, only to start another — even longer — uphill climb.

All things told, I would guess that we spent ⅔ of this section on climbs. That makes the journey from Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit one of the more challenging segments of the Great Glen Way. But there were still plenty of great moments to enjoy, including more waterfalls, bridges and viewpoints.

After a full afternoon of riding, we cruised into Invermoriston with a brisk descent and finished at the welcome sight of the Loch Ness Inn.

Drumnadrochit is the home of Urquhart Castle and the jumping off point for many Loch Ness-related adventures. Unfortunately, our late arrival left us with little time (or energy) to explore. This was the only disappointing part of our adventure — and a point I revisit below in discussing alternate routes to consider.

Day 4: Drumnadrochit to Inverness

Day 4 Summary

Distance travelled: 21.71 miles
Active biking time: 7:05
Total time including breaks: 7:44
Elevation gain: 1,852 ft (1,213 max)
Description: The Great Glen Way from Drumnadrochit to Inverness starts with the steepest climb of the entire journey, high up into the hills above Urquhart Castle. But the climb was absolutely worth it. At the top, we were greeted with a magical forest filled with surprises that eventually opened up into a quaint farming community nestled in the Highlands. After a brisk descent back down to loch-level, the final stretch on a running path alongside River Ness led us to our final destination: Inverness Castle.

Day 4 Experience

The final stage of the Great Glen Way had the most challenging start to any of our stages, starting with a steep climb from Drumnadrochit high up into the hills above Loch Ness. The early part of the trail was clearly designed for hikers rather than mountain bikes, which meant a lot of walking and a few situations where I had to push both bikes uphill (as my son could not physically lift his bike up some of the gnarlier segments).

Even though the initial climb was tough, there was plenty to see along the way that kept it enjoyable. The trail passes by many farms (and lots of sheep!) and we got buzzed a few more times by RAF jets whilst we were walking along. The forest eventually flattens out, leading to some great riding with a few unexpected surprises along the way (which I won’t spoil).

After awhile, the forest gives way to a country road that winds through a quaint farming community. The plateau views above Inverness are stunning, though it’s quite windy (so be prepared). We spent about an hour riding amongst farms before our final reward: a massive paved downhill towards Inverness.

(Note: the final descent towards Inverness is a significant downhill on an active road, so make sure your child is comfortable riding roads with steep downhill gradients safely.)

At the bottom of the hill, there were a few final miles of flat riding on a running path alongside the River Ness before we finally reached the city of Inverness.

The official end of the Great Glen Way is at Inverness Castle. But across the street, the folks at the Castle Tavern happily give out “certificates of completion” to kids who successfully complete the Great Glen Way. We sat down for a well-earned pint / juice and celebrated our achievement before heading to our hotel for the night.

Alternate Itineraries for Cycling the Great Glen Way

Having completed the Great Glen Way, there are three alternate itineraries that I would consider with kids, based primarily on the difficulty of section 3b (Invermorriston to Drumnadrochit) and the impact it had on our time in Drumnadrochit:

Alternate Itinerary #1 (4 Days)

The first alternate itinerary I would consider would shift the segment from Fort Augustus to Invermoriston (our segment 3a above) to Day 2. Whilst we absolutely loved the Lovat Hotel and a shortened Day 2 served as a welcome respite after an unexpectedly difficult Day 1, it left us with such a long third day that we had no time to enjoy Drumnadrochit.

That meant we didn’t have time to explore Urquhart Castle, take a boat trip onto Loch Ness, or search for Nessie. Which really wasn’t cool.

This alternate route would be:

Day 1: Fort William to Invergarry (Medium without diversion / hard with diversion)
Day 2: Invergarry to Invermoriston (Medium)
Day 3: Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit (Medium)
Day 4: Drumnadrochit to Inverness (Hard)

Alternate Itinerary #2 (4 Days)

A number of itineraries posted on the internet start with Day 1 going all the way from Fort William to Fort Augustus. I think this would actually be a reasonable approach, provided that there is no diversion in place.

The first segment would certainly be lengthy, but given that it’s almost entirely flat (without a diversion in place) it wouldn’t be much harder than what we encountered with the diversion.

This alternate route would be:

Day 1: Fort William to Fort Augustus (Hard without diversion / not recommended with diversion)
Day 2: Fort Augustus to Invermoriston (Easy)
Day 3: Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit (Medium)
Day 4: Drumnadrochit to Inverness (Hard)

Alternate Itinerary #3 (5 Days)

If your schedule allows, completing the Great Glen Way across five days instead of four is another option that would allow for even more time to explore and enjoy the lochs and highlands.

In this case, I would suggest completing the stage from Fort Augustus to Drumnadrochit across two days (i.e. splitting up our stages 3a and 3b above):

Day 1: Fort William to Invergarry (Medium without diversion / hard with diversion)
Day 2: Invergarry to Fort Augustus (Easy)
Day 3: Fort Augustus to Invermorison (Easy)
Day 4: Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit (Medium)
Day 5: Drumnadrochit to Inverness (Hard)

Packing for Cycling the Great Glen Way

When it comes to traveling with kids, packing is always a challenge. Do you bring more clothes and extras knowing that likely things are going to go wrong, or do you pack lightly and deal with the consequences?

Coming across the Atlantic, we travelled with two large backpacks (rucksacks), containing all of our clothes, toiletries and biking necessities, a few items for the long airplane rides (e.g. headphones and books) plus my work necessities (work-appropriate clothes, laptop, etc.). If it weren’t for the fact that this adventure was combined with a work trip, we probably could have cut our weight by half, but it was nonetheless manageable.

My son had an Osprey Ace 38L backpack while I used my wife’s Osprey Fairview 40L travel backpack (which is a much more appropriate size for cycling than my significantly larger 65-liter hiking backpack.)

As I mentioned earlier, I rented panniers (saddle bags) for my bike. This was specifically because I knew that our backpacks would be far too heavy to wear on the ride. Each morning, we transferred the majority of our clothes and all of our heavy items (electronics, extra shoes, etc.) into the panniers, leaving us with relatively light backpacks for the day. We also picked up sandwiches and some snacks each morning, which went into the panniers.

(I should note that there are courier services available that will transport luggage between towns along the Great Glen Way, but that wasn’t something we looked into.)

Essentials

I won’t go into full details about each-and-every item we packed. What I will say is that you should think in terms of layers when packing clothes (if you spend any time in San Francisco, you know what I’m talking about). We each had short-sleeve and long-sleeve shirts, a warmer sweater / sweatshirt, a light jacket and a couple of pairs of comfortable athletic pants. We added and removed layers multiple times each day in response to the changing weather and wind. We also each had two pairs of shoes (one pair of rugged, all-weather hiking shoes for riding and another pair of shoes for walking around) plus extra socks just in case.

In addition to clothing and toiletries, key items we packed included:

Water containers (either a hydration pack for your backpack or a very large water bottle)
Sunscreen
Bug repellant (there are lots of midges depending on the time of year)
Hiking/athletic snacks (energy bars/chews/gels/etc.)
Basic bike repair knowledge (make sure you know how to perform basic repair tasks, including replacing a flat tire and resetting a chain that falls off)

And, most importantly: patience.

It goes without saying that, as a parent, you need to approach an adventure like this with the right mindset. Even if it’s not physically challenging for them, riding the Great Glen Way is mentally challenging for kids. Take as many breaks as you need to. Indulge in whatever distractions and exploration they want to do. Don’t worry if you’re “on time” for anything. And definitely don’t skimp on giving out snacks (there’s no reason for anyone to be hangry!).

Things We Didn’t Need to Pack But I’m Glad We Did

There were a few things we didn’t use and/or weren’t strictly necessary, but I’m glad we packed. These included:

Rain clothes — We each had a pair of easy-to-pack waterproof pants and a rain jacket from REI. We never needed to pull them out — as it only ever rained lightly during our travels — but given the unpredictable weather in Scotland, I’m glad we had them (more on that below).
Small medical kit - Thankfully, we had no injuries, but making sure you’re prepared for the unexpected is important with any adventure.
Power bank - My Iniu 65W power bank added another extra couple of pounds of weight to the load. While we never used it, my phone was close to 0% on several occasions (in no small part due to the many photos and videos we took). We often went for hours without seeing anyone else, so I would have hated to not have a phone available if an emergency took place or something went wrong.
Drone - Definitely not a “must have” but it certainly added fun to the trip. We brought our small DJI Mini 3 drone with us and used it during many of our breaks to document the journey. (In the UK, you are required to have a drone license in order to operate a personal drone, so if you bring one make sure that you and your kids complete their online “driving tests”.)
Baseball gloves - My son loves playing baseball and didn’t want to “miss out” on any practice time while we were in Scotland. We brought along our gloves (and a ball) and attached them to the panniers with carabiners. They were a bit bulky on some of the narrow trails, but I was happy to carry them for some more father-son moments.
Books - My son reads a lot. As easy as it would have been to pack a Kindle, my wife and I had long ago decided that we were going to prioritize physical books as a key part of his learning experience. And he definitely read a lot that week.

An extra 5 pounds that I was (mostly) happy to carry

Accommodations for Cycling the Great Glen Way

This is really important: you must book your accommodations for every single night of your journey in advance. In fact, you need to do it well in advance!

The towns along the Great Glen Way have limited accomodations (generally one or two small hotels, plus a handful of bed-and-breakfasts). During the high season, many of the rooms are taken up by tour groups, leaving relatively few options available for booking. If you take only one thing away from this post, it should be this: the moment you decide to cycle the Great Glen Way and choose your route, book your accommodations before doing or planning anything else!

Here are the places we stayed along our route, each of which I would gladly recommend and stay at again:

Fort William: Guisachan Guesthouse
Invergarry: Invergarry Hotel
Fort Augustus: The Lovat
Drumnadrochit: Loch Ness Inn & Bunk Inn

The Invergarry Hotel has only 13 rooms. There are two hotels in Invergarry.

Getting to/from the Great Glen Way

Traveling to and from the Great Glen Way is easy by train.

The scenic West Highland Line runs from Glasgow to Fort William and there are multiple train operators that go daily between Edinburgh and Inverness. We flew into Edinburgh airport, took a taxi to Glasgow and then rode the West Highland Line to Fort William. At the end of our ride (after a good night’s sleep in Inverness) we took the train back down to Edinburgh. In both cases, the train ride was a little over 3 hours and easy to book through ScotRail.

Weather Considerations when Cycling the Great Glen Way

The weather in Scotland can be quite finicky (though if you’re coming from Vancouver or the Pacific Northwest, you’ll be very familiar with it). We had some light showers on the first two days of our journey, but otherwise the weather was sunny and clear.

When planning to cycle the Great Glen Way, pay particular attention to the time of year and the expected weather. It is not realistic to cycle the Great Glen Way with kids if it is raining more than lightly. Aside from the fact that biking in the open rain isn’t that much fun to begin with, significant portions of the Great Glen Way are likely to be difficult, if not impossible, to traverse by bike if turned into mud — especially not with panniers.

While the sections alongside the canals are durable, the logging roads upon which much of the Great Glen Way takes place are open to the elements and not overly robust. In addition, some of the steeper trails — most notably the climb out of Drumnadrochit on the final day — would be virtually impossible to utilize in poor conditions.

Thankfully, there are options for traveling from one town to another should your plans get derailed by weather (such as buses and taxis).

Final Thoughts

If you made it all the way here, then I offer you my hearty congratulations (and thanks for reading! 🙏).

Completing the Great Glen Way with my 9 year old son was a fantastic experience for both of us. While we did have to push our bikes uphill on some of the sections, nothing ever felt unbearable. The views at the top were incredible and there were countless opportunities for exploration (including wonderful educational stations located throughout the trail).

Bottom line: cycling the Great Glen Way was a wonderful experience that I highly recommend if your kids are into biking. It takes a bit of extra effort, planning and patience to make it through the journey, but the reward in terms of their feelings of accomplishment and the memories you’ll make along the way are well worth it.

It’s fun, fulfilling, and it builds character 😉

Chris Neumann