Where to Stay on The Great Glen Way : Part 1


Fort William to Fort Augustus




Like any long distance hike, there are places to stay whatever your budget and the Great Glen Way is no exception. There are a range of options to choose from, some free providing you have your own tent or bivvy bag. Other places may push the financial budget a little more. 

Fort William

Has a range of options for everyone there is a campsite just outside the townext  and there is a range of hotels and Bed and Breakfast's. As you can imagine the list below isn't exhaustive.

Camping

A couple of good options here is the Glen Nevis campsite which sits at the foot of Ben Nevis and Lochy Campsite, situated just outside of Fort William. 

Glen Nevis Camping has the benefit of being just off the West Highland Way and is a good stopover for people who are looking to do either or both long distance walks. The campsite is just over 2 miles south of Fort William.


Lochy Campsite is 2.5 miles north of Fort William and is a useful stop if your looking to spend a night before starting the Great Glen Way. There are bus services out to Lochy Campsite from the bus station in Fort William.  


Hostels

The main hostels in or around Fort William are shown below

Fort William Backpackers Hostel is located in the town of Fort William, a short walk from the train station and the town centre. The hostel itself is an old Victorian building but the interior is warm and comfortable.

Bed and Breakfast 

There are plenty of options when it comes to Bed and Breakfasts. Instead of mentioning them all here, the link below will give you more information of what is on offer in Fort William.

Hotels

There are many hotel available in and around Fort William. Most people will most likely be in a budget and will look to find accomodation that won't cost in excess of £100 per night. I haven't detailed all the hotels available but the link below  can be of use. 


Benavie

Benavie has a couple of options of where to stay. The inexpensive option is the Chase The Wild Goose hostel, which costs £30 per night when I stayed at the start of July. The Moorings hotel is the other option. the cost of a room is much more expensive and it could easily cost over £100 for the night. 

Gairlochy

This is 10 miles  into the Great Glen Way, and it has a few options for places to stay. The cheapest is the free camping site, just after the second lock and has a toilet block with shower and dryer. A key is needed to access the block and this can be purchased in Fort William for £10.
Toilet Block 
Free Camping Spot

 If you want to camp and have a few more facilities around then you will have to walk the 1.5 miles toward Spean Bridge to the Gairlochy Holiday Park


There are 5 Bed and Breakfasts and cottages in and close to Gairlochy, these are listed below. There are plenty more accommodation in Spean Bridge


Laggen

There are slim pickings on offer for places to stay in Laggen. On my journey I walked past here and ended up at Kytra Lock. There are several self catering cottages on offer but only one Bed and Breakfast. There are  no camp sites near here or wild camp spots. 


There is alternative accommodation at Invergarry which can be hiked to via the alternative track just outside Laggen. There is also a campsite outside Invergarry.

Aberchalder

Aberchalder has a wild camping spot but it is next to the swing bridge and this is near main road. The only other accommodation in the area is the Netherwood Bed and Breakfast 


Kytra Lock

This place has a few holiday cottages to rent. I doubt these would be available to rent for just a night. Fort Augustus is less than 3 miles away with a range of accomodation options. There is a free camping area opposite the lock, under the trees. 



Fort Augustus

After a couple of days walking with minimal options in the way of accomodation, Fort Augustus has plenty of places to choose from.  

The local campsite is the Loch Ness Highland Resort, positioned in the centre of the small town.  This used to be known as Cumberlands campsite, but was renamed recently. They welcome walkers and a tent pitch is less than £10. They have a shop and restaurant onsite, and glaming pods if your budget allows.


Hostel

Morag's Lodge is a good option, if you are using hostels to walk the Great Glen Way. This has the added advantage of being literally on the way.



B&B and Hotels 

There are a wealth of Bed and Breakfasts and a few hotels to stay at in Fort Augustus.  Booking ahead if walking the Great Glen Way would be necessary as these tend to book up quickly during the summer season. Costs range from £80 to £320. 


That said it may well be worth the time checking airbnb as an alternative to the options given above. 


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