by RorySouthworth » Sat Apr 07, 2018 1:53 pm
Date walked: 29/03/2018
Time taken: 3 days
Distance: 117 km
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Wanting to combine my training for the TGO Challenege in May and do another long distance trail I decided to do the GGW over the Easter bank holiday weekend, giving me 3 days to be able to complete the route and a day to travel back home.
Thursday: 10km
Arriving into Fort William at 11pm I started straight away across the Morrisons car park, heading off in the dark to leave the city and find a spot to camp. The trail starts on easy going path with only one small section of relatively little ascent. Particularly scarce of camping spots, I pitched up along the canal bank at the only suitable flat spot I had seen for a while.
Friday: 37km
Waking to a cold wind I headed off, passing one of the unofficial campsites 6km in, before getting to the long stretch that follows the bank of Loch Lochy onto Laggan, the first opportunity for food or a hostel. I continued onwards to Invergarry, stopping at the Hotel for some food and to refill my water bottles.
From there I headed to the one of the next unofficial camping spots, located about 5km further on at the Aberchalder Lock. The spot is near the road and in no real way remote, but it has good flat ground and is on route.
Saturday: 50km
Heading onwards, I passed the next unofficial camp spot at Kytra Lock, about 4km after Aberchalder and about 4km before Fort Augustus, an opportunity to resupply with shops, cafés and public conveniences.
Leaving the town and heading up the hill you start to get to option to take the high route, an absolute must. The views open up on this route and the stunning vistas are worth the extra effort required for the accent gained.
Arriving into Invermoriston, there is the opportunity to refill your water bottles at the public toilet block on the route and pub before heading up the steep hill leading to the high route option. This section was by far my favourite part of the trail and once again well worth the ascent.
8km before Drumnadrochit you hit a long and uninspiring road section, that continues on for another few kilometres after you pass through the town. There is once again an oppunity to resupply and eat as well as an official campsite located just before the town.
I continued onwards for 10km, reaching a picnic area in the woods where I pitched my tent, not an ideal camp spot, but located near some picnic tables, a few parking spaces and public toilets. I reached there at 10pm and left before 6am, not really feeling it was as great of a spot as I thought it might be, only really finding flat ground next to the built-in BBQ.
Sunday: 20km
Waking to a frozen tent I quickly packed up and heading onwards, passing an official campsite 1.5km further along, probably a much better option, or the viewpoint 5km back, which had space for a small tent.
Leaving the woods I was back on another road walk, however the views were beautiful here with the Black Isles north and finally a path that takes you off the road for sections before you enter the last woodland section, an enjoyable trail before you re-enter the urban environment. Following the canal the last section before reaching the castle, the end point of the trail.
