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Region: Multi-Location
Trip Type: Canoeing
Accommodation: Wilderness Camping
Max Group Size: 8
Confirmed: When 3 Travellers Book
Deposit From: £243.75 £243.75

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All you need to know about your trip, this essential document is a must for all adventures.

Download Itinerary

The Great Glen offers a classic canoe trip from coast to coast, following an ancient route through the Highlands that has been used since time immemorial to journey through the rugged and mountainous landscape of northern Scotland.

Our adventure begins near Fort William, and for the next five days, we will paddle our way northeast along several lochs and sections of the Caledonian Canal, culminating in the famous waters of Loch Ness.

This is old school journeying at a slow pace where we can take in the detail of the scenes around us. Enjoy the sound satisfaction of every mile earned by honest hard work.

Trip Highlights

Paddle from coast to coast on a traditional canoe journey.
Develop your canoe skills under the guidance of your expert guides.
Enjoy views of Ben Nevis, ruined castles and the beautiful Scottish landscape from the water.

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 – Expedition Begins

Our canoe journey begins above Neptune’s Staircase on the Caledonian Canal, a gentle introduction as we make our way to Gairlochy, and the first of several lock gates, at the end of Loch Lochy. Here we will set up our first camp of the trip, enjoying views of Ben Nevis from our tents. (L, D)

Day 2 – Loch Lochy to Loch Oich

Today we start on the open water of Loch Lochy, aiming to reach the end of this loch by the end of the day, or if conditions are favourable we may reach the waters of Loch Oich. Our campsite tonight is on the grassy shore of Laggan Locks. (B, L, D)

Day 3 – Loch Oich to Loch Ness

After crossing Loch Oich we are back on the canal today for the few miles up to Fort Augustus. We will need to portage every canal lock but this is all part of the journey! Our efforts are rewarded as by the end of the day we will now have reached Loch Ness. (B, L, D)

Day 4 – Loch Ness

Loch Ness is awesome in any weather conditions, so as we continue our canoe journey we may be sailing with a following wind or watching reflections of the steep mountains in mirror calm water. Urquhart Castle guards the bay into which we plan to paddle for our last night’s camp, or we may stop on the south shore depending on the conditions. (B, L, D)

Day 5 – To Inverness

On our final day, we set out onto Loch Ness for the last time, paddling until the end of the loch is in sight. This is the endpoint of a memorable canoe trip through the Great Glen before the River Ness snakes its way down to the sea. After sorting our kit, we head to settle into our comfy accommodation in Inverness before a delicious dinner to celebrate our adventure. (B, L, D)

Day 6 – Expedition Ends

After enjoying a hearty Scottish breakfast this morning you can depart the guest house to begin your onward travel, rested and with plenty of great memories to see you home. The train station is a short walk where your guides will say farewell. (B)

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Open Canoeing

Great Glen Canoe Trail

To download a PDF copy of our Trip Itinerary, containing full details about this holiday, please complete the form below:

Trip Dates & Prices

Trip Dates for 2023	Availability	Status	Price	Book
8th Jul - 13th Jul 2023	3 places left	CONFIRMED	£975	Book Now
12th Aug - 17th Aug 2023	6 places left	UNCONFIRMED	£975	Book Now
2nd Sep - 7th Sep 2023	6 places left	UNCONFIRMED	£975	Book Now

Trip Details

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Accommodation Read More

On this trip, we camp at campsites along the route. We provide tents and also carry a base camp tipi, which means that we can all gather together for dinner and a hot drink even if the weather is inclement. On your last night, you will stay at a cosy welcoming guesthouse in Inverness.

Single tents and accommodation

During the expedition, we will provide you with a single tent if you require, but we do ask that those who are happy to share a tent with other travellers do so. This helps to keep our camp size small, giving us more options of where to pitch and reducing our environmental impact on these precious places.

There is no supplement charged to solo travellers, however, you will be required to share a room with another person of the same sex. If you request a double room for single occupancy, a supplement of £75 is charged.

Due to the nature of the accommodations we use, single supplements are limited and are allocated on a first come first served basis.

Meals Read More: Great food is essential to all our trips and expeditions are no different. While the guide will co-ordinate the cooking and help out, everyone is asked to lend a hand as this ensures the best meals in the shortest possible time after long days. We will carry plenty of food to cater to a varied and satisfying menu throughout the trip, and some of these may be prepared on an open fire. Dietary requirements can still be catered for but please ensure we know at the time of booking. Included dinners out are two courses as standard.

Inclusions Read More

4 nights of wild camping on the banks of the lochs.
1 night in a cosy accommodation in Inverness on the final night.
All meals as stated in the itinerary. (Meals included indicated as B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
All transport, starting in Fort William and finishing in Inverness.
The services of at least one experienced and knowledgeable canoe guide/driver throughout your trip.
All group equipment including tents, group safety equipment and cooking /eating equipment and utensils. Please note that sleeping bags are not included. However, sleeping bags and sleeping mats are available for hire.
All specialist open canoe equipment, including canoes and buoyancy aids.

Trip Grading Read More: Blue Graded 5
This canoeing trip is only suitable for people with some previous canoeing experience and a good level of fitness. Since we are paddling on moving river waters, including several more exciting rapids (up to Grade 2) competence in steering the canoe is an essential skill from the beginning. You can expect up to 7 hours of paddling a day plus breaks.

Travel – Arrival and Departure Read More

You will be met by your Wilderness Scotland Guide Fort William Railway Station at 10:30am on day 1 of your trip.

On the final day, your guide will take you on foot from your accommodation to Inverness Railway Station by 10:00am.

For advice on getting to and from Scotland please our travel advice page on our website: www.wildernessscotland.com/faq/travel-to-scotland/

Make This Trip Private

Fancy this trip just for your group? Get together with family and friends spend quality time exploring wild places. A private trip allows you to benefit from all the features of the group departure, including hand-picked accommodation and expert local guides but with the advantage of the flexibility to tailor the days to your group. Make the trip more or less challenging depending on your experience or choose to add in some optional extras like castle or distillery visits depending on your interests. The price of a private trip will depend on the number of travellers in your group. Let us know your prefered departure date and we'll take care of the rest.

Speak to an Expert

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Bridget Brown

Our friendly office team hail from across the world but share a passion for the outdoor and wild spaces of Scotland. We are committed to providing you with the best customer service and are more than happy to chat through options and provide help and advice. Get in touch to find your perfect adventure.

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Meet Your Guide

Victoria Rastall
8th Jul - 13th Jul 2023

Victoria Rastall
12th Aug - 17th Aug 2023

Mike Devlin
2nd Sep - 7th Sep 2023

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Difficulty Grades Explained

Blue Graded Open Canoeing Holidays 4-6

Great Glen

This Blue graded canoeing trip is suitable for people with no previous canoeing experience, but a good level of fitness is required. We will be paddling for up to 7 hours each day on flat water lochs and canals, however in windy conditions it will be challenging and we will encounter small waves on the larger lochs.

River Spey Descent

This Blue graded canoeing trip is only suitable for people with some previous canoeing experience and a good level of fitness. Since we are paddling on moving river waters, including several more exciting rapids (up to Grade 2) competence steering the canoe is an essential skill from the beginning. You can expect up to 7 hours of paddling a day plus breaks.

North West Highlands

This Blue graded trip combines canoeing and hillwalking. It is suitable for people with no previous experience in canoeing but a good level of fitness and hiking experience is required. This is a very physically demanding trip as we canoe on wild lochs, hike remote routes on rough ground, portage our boats from loch to loch and camp in wild terrain.

We will be active for up to 8 hours each day. The hikes will be mostly off-path and include ascending peaks up to 3000ft high over rough, boggy and bouldery terrain. The canoeing will be on flat-water lochs but this can be challenging in windy conditions and there may be small waves. We also have to carry or ‘portage’ all our boats and gear from loch to loch – an integral part of journeying by canoe.

Compare open canoeing grades

Trip Reviews

Rated 4.88 out of 5 based on 90 reviews of Open Canoeing – Great Glen Canoe Trail

Every client receives a feedback survey when they return from their guided, self guided or tailor made holiday with us. Once completed the review is published on our website just as soon as our database updates. The little touches and details are important to us and where issues are raised we make positive changes to our trips to improve your experience.

That’s why we read each of our client’s reviews and although we don’t respond to all of them, if it’s glowing feedback then we get the satisfaction of helping to make your holidays truly memorable.

edward mcwilliams

Reviewed on 27/09/2022

Age: 50 - 60
Country: United Kingdom
Trip Date: 10/09/2022
Trips Taken: 1

The Bottom Line

Ros Davies

Reviewed on 23/09/2022

Age: 60 - 70
Country: United Kingdom
Trip Date: 10/09/2022
Trips Taken: 1

The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line

The trip was brilliant fun... and the sense of achievement is immense: I have canoed the Great Glen Way :-) Wilderness Scotland made it easy for me to take part in a great adventure. I won't call it 'the adventure of a lifetime' because I'm planning to come back and add more of their adventures to my life.

Ros Davies

Reviewed on 23/09/2022

Age: 60 - 70
Country: United Kingdom
Trip Date: 10/09/2022
Trips Taken: 1

The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line

The trip was brilliant fun... and the sense of achievement is immense. Wilderness Scotland made it easy for me to take part in a great adventure. I won't call it 'the adventure of a lifetime' because I'm planning to come back and add more of their adventures to my life.

Load More Reviews

Wilderness England

Great Glen Canoe Trail

Travel Planning & Advice

Trip Highlights

Did you know?

This trip can be booked as a private departure

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 – Expedition Begins

Day 2 – Loch Lochy to Loch Oich

Day 3 – Loch Oich to Loch Ness

Day 4 – Loch Ness

Day 5 – To Inverness

Day 6 – Expedition Ends

Trip Dates & Prices

Trip Details

Single tents and accommodation

Blue Graded 5

Photo Gallery

Make This Trip Private

Speak to an Expert

Bridget Brown

Meet Your Guide

Difficulty Grades Explained

Blue Graded Open Canoeing Holidays 4-6

North West Highlands

Trip Reviews

Pre-Trip Service

Trip Comments

Accommodation & Food

Your Guide

The Bottom Line

Pre-Trip Service

Trip Comments

Accommodation & Food

Your Guide

The Bottom Line

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