Scotland's coast-to-coast canoe trail from Banavie near Fort William to Clachnaharry, Inverness, via the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness.
About
The Great Glen Canoe Trail covers about 60 miles (96 km) from the top of Neptune's Staircase at Banavie to Clachnaharry near Inverness. Roughly a third is canal; the rest is open water on Loch Lochy, Loch Oich, Loch Ness and Loch Dochfour.
There are around 29 lock portages. Most paddlers take three to five days and prefer west to east for the prevailing south-westerlies. Open-water experience matters on the bigger lochs.
History
Thomas Telford's Caledonian Canal opened in the early nineteenth century to link the west and east coasts through the Great Glen. The dedicated canoe trail launched in 2012 with pontoons and rest sites, becoming Scotland's first formal long-distance canoe trail.
Stages
- Banavie to Gairlochy
- Gairlochy to Fort Augustus
- Fort Augustus to Inverness