Running for 59km from Fort Augustus at the western end of Loch Ness to the Highland capital, Inverness, the South Loch Ness Trail explores the varied landscapes on the quieter side of Scotland's most famous loch.
The first stage begins with a long, gradual ascent, eventually climbing to a ridge above Loch Tarff which gives superb open views down Strathnairn. There follows a section with farmland and alongside rivers until reaching the village of Foyers - famed for its dramatic waterfall.
The second stage heads through forests - with some rugged going in places - to the hamlet of Inverfargaig. It then follows a tiny road up into the hills before crossing the Fair Haired Lad's Pass - a highlight of the whole route for its superb panorama over Loch Ness. The long descent to Dores keeps the loch in view for much of the way.
The final stage follows a low ridge towards Inverness, offering excellent walking with unexpectedly extensive views.
Stage descriptions | Length | Time | Done |
---|---|---|---|
Fort Augustus to Foyers | 24.5km | 5½-6½ hours | |
Foyers to Dores | 22km | 5-6 hours | |
Dores to Inverness | 17.25km | 4-5 hours |
The route follows tracks and footpaths throughout, and is mostly waymarked, although some markers are missing on the middle stage.
Click to find organised Loch Ness 360 walking holiday packages and baggage transfer providers
.Fort Augustus is popular tourist centre with shops, cafes, restaurants and all types of accommodation.
Whitebridge is reached around 18.5km after Fort Augustus and has a hotel / inn.
Foyers is a small village with a shop, cafe and a choice of accommodation, including B&Bs, guesthouses and hotels.
Dores has an inn/restauraunt and bed and breakfast accommodation, but no shop.
The Highland Capital, Inverness, has all facilities and excellent transport links including both rail and bus.
There are buses to Fort Augustus from Inverness and Fort William
Buses from Inverness serve as far as the Knockie Lodge road end on the B862, part way through the first stage. They also call at Whitebridge, Foyers, Inverfarigaig and Dores.
Timetables for all the routes can be found on Traveline Scotland.
There are 36 Walkhighlanders who have completed the South Loch Ness Trail. To record if you have completed the route, you must register and be logged in. Our users have contributed 2 public walk reports for the route. These are ordered below with the most popular ones first.
Title | Author | Date walked | Likes |
---|---|---|---|
The Trail of 7 lochs from Inverness | andrewl7642 | 19/06/2015 | 6 |
South Loch Ness Trail: Fort Augustus - Inverness over 2 days | gld73 | 22/08/2019 | 3 |
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