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Great Glen Way August 2012

Great Glen Way August 2012


Postby welshy165 » Sun Aug 26, 2012 9:27 pm

Route description: Great Glen Way

Date walked: 26/08/2012

Time taken: 3 days

Distance: 117 km

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After walking the WHW in May I started looking for my next long distance walk. Decided on the GGW. It was a tough choice between that and the Rob Roy Way. Started the Great Glen Way on the 15/8/12. I drove up to Fort William the day before and stayed in my Campervan at the Glen Nevis campsite to get an early start. The plan was to walk it in 3 days getting the bus back to the campsites each day. The first day this plan added about 4 or 5 miles to the total as the campsite is not in Fort William so I must have walked about 40 miles the 1st day.....hard going!
Day 1- Fort William to Fort Augustus(35miles stayed at Glen Nevis Campsite)

This part of the walk is really flat and quite open, walking mostly along the side of the Caledonian canal.
Day 2- Fort Augustus To Drumnadrochit(24 miles stayed at Cumberlands Caravan & Camping park Fort Augustus)

Found this part of the walk disappointing as its mostly through the forests. Its very enclosed with little opportunity to see the fabulous scenery. Its also seems to take you away from the lochs and up into the hills with nothing to see but trees!
Day 3- Drumnadrochit to Inverness (20 miles drove back down the road.)

Much the same as the day before, weather was pretty bad as well which never helped. The drive down to Fort Augustus was better than the last 2 days of the walk as I could actually see the scenery. Don't want to be to negative about this walk but after doing the WHW it was a bit of a let down. If the Forestry Commission cut down the trees blocking the views this would be a totally different walk.
Last edited by welshy165 on Fri Sep 07, 2012 7:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Great Glen Way August 2012

Postby LaurenAlexandra » Tue Aug 28, 2012 12:41 pm

Thanks for posting the vids! This is a walk I want to do in the very near future, and it's great to have these kinds of visuals. Gives me a better idea of what it's actually going to look like.
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Re: Great Glen Way August 2012

Postby Gordie12 » Fri Sep 07, 2012 12:54 pm

Thanks for the post - doing the GGW next year so found it really interesting - looks like you had pretty mixed weather.

Out of curiosity, what was the soundtrack to the first video???

Gordon
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Re: Great Glen Way August 2012

Postby Buggiba » Sun Mar 03, 2013 12:18 pm

Great videos. Like you I, and two friends, took on the GGW last year (April 2012). Unlike you, we went for the 4 day option. Left Fort William about 7am and proceeded, via Neptune's Staircase and Gairlochy, to the hostel at South Laggan. Had to stop at the Eagle Barge Inn at Laggan Locks. What an experience!!
Day 2 saw us up and walking by 6.20am. Misty alongside Loch Oich and then the sun came out. Fort Augustus for lunch and Invermoriston for tea before overnighting at the Youth Hostel at Alltsigh.
Day 3 was our short one. Left Alltsigh about 9 and meandered to Drumnadrochit, arriving about 1.30pm. Stayed at the excellent Loch Ness Backpackers, which has its' own bar!!
Last day. Walking at 5.20am as we had a bus to catch from Inverness back to Fort William. Steep climb and diversion up to the highest point of the walk. Called in at the 'eco-cafe' at Abriachan. (not to be missed).
Long level walking towards Inverness to be greeted by the ' Inverness Castle 4 miles' sign when you are actually looking down on the city. :( .
Nice walk but too many trees.
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Re: Great Glen Way August 2012

Postby Moray2148 » Sat Mar 09, 2013 3:24 pm

Gordie12 wrote:Thanks for the post - doing the GGW next year so found it really interesting - looks like you had pretty mixed weather.

Out of curiosity, what was the soundtrack to the first video???

Gordon

Dakota - Stereophonics. I hadnt heard it before either. Soundhound fantastic phone app!

At the planning stage for this walk, this spring. These videos are really good! They give a real flavour of the walk. Cant wait.!
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Re: Great Glen Way August 2012

Postby NewTooWalking » Mon Mar 11, 2013 9:58 pm

hello there Moray2148
thanks for posting these videos excellent makes me want to walk it now!! cannae wait to walk this myself in a month or too
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Re: Great Glen Way August 2012

Postby Moray2148 » Fri Mar 15, 2013 12:38 am

NewTooWalking wrote:hello there Moray2148
thanks for posting these videos excellent makes me want to walk it now!! cannae wait to walk this myself in a month or too


Much as I would love to have posted these great videos I cant lay claim. They were posted by Welshy165 who started the thread and has walked the walk as they say.
Hope you enjoy the walk later in the year!

Moray2148
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