Great Glen vs East Highland Way ?

[Barcode]

Hi all,

I'm planning on doing my first long distance route towards summer (3-5 days) and am tossing up between the Great Glen and East Highland Way, or possibly doing sections of either.

I'm after any advice on either of these routes or any other suitable routes that people would recommend also as I don't want to end up being out of my depth and featuring on Channel 5's Highland Rescue

[Backpacker]

Hi Barcode

From what I've been told, the GGW is a bit unimaginative but easy to do the EHW is a bit more difficult but the Scenery is far better. I'm looking to do the EHW later this year probably late April/May

[peter tindal]

Hi

I have never done the EHW but I have done GGW on a bike. I have to say the GGW is a bit of a poor route and I was glad I did it on a bike to make sure I finished it quicker!

Pete

[Barcode]

Cheers for the replies guys, I had read the GGW was a tad bit boring but thought I'd ask around first. Is the EHW well marked as I did see it mentioned somewhere that it was in places hard to navigate and I still consider myself somewhat of a novice walker.

[Paul Webster]

The East Highland Way is mostly not waymarked. We have a complete description and guide here: East Highland Way.

Guide to the Great Glen Way here. Looking through both should give you an idea of each route.

[Barcode]

Thanks Paul . I was looking at them yesterday, both great breakdowns of the routes but I was questioning why there were very few trip reports for either route? I didn't know if perhaps both had major pitfalls somewhere which made them unpopular or whether it was purely that not many people have walked them.

[Paul Webster]

They are not unpopular - I think the GGW is the 2nd most popular long distance walk in the country. It's just it hasn't been possible for so long to write reports on long distance routes on WH, and alot of the posters who write trip reports on the forum are more into day walks / hillwalking.

[Circles]

I'm planning on doing the GGW later this year but will be including the 2 Munros as well as Ben Tee to add a bit of interest...not to mention that they will probably give the best vantage point of the walk as a whole...there are some excellent walk reports for these hills that you could mix in with the general walk...Ben Tee as a minimum should be achievable even for a novice walker
Look forward to reading your trip report!

[Barcode]

Circles, by including the munros, how long are setting out to complete the way? As a new walker I don't think I'd find any route boring, I'm just looking for a physical challenge and some decent views in-between. I was swaying towards the EHW but your idea has given me food for thought .

[Circles]

You'll need to add an extra day for the Munro's...It's 7-9 hours based on the WH route from Kilfinnan http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fortwilliam/lochlochymunros.shtml
Ben Tee is 4.5-6hrs from Kilfinnan http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fortwilliam/bentee.shtml so you could tack it onto a long day between Gairlochy and Laggan...the reviews show it as not too difficult and on a good day shodul have cracking views down Loch Ness...and its teh lack of views that most people bemoan about GGW
I'm looking atGraeme D's loop including the 3 but its a long day albeit early in the walk http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=23466

[Barcode]

Thanks for that Circles, given me a good idea of alternatives to break up the route. What ever I do, I'll make sure to give a walk report with a few pictures.

[Allan77]

Hi

I have never done the EHW but I have done GGW on a bike. I have to say the GGW is a bit of a poor route and I was glad I did it on a bike to make sure I finished it quicker!

Pete

Hi,

Realise the original post is about walking it but on the idea of cycling...

I've cycled the GGW also and have to agree I was a bit underwhelmed. Surprised as I drove through it a year earlier from north to south and thought it looked really spectacular. Imagine it's great on a boat. One thing I would recommend is at Fort Augusta go up to Inverness on the East side of the loch. I've heard the west side route is a firetrack slog. The east side is a great cycle up to a view point and then flat and downhill all the way to Inverness. Was easily my favourite section of the route.

Allan

[Caberfeidh]

You could always try another, shorter route by a different style; the Lairig Gru by hopping, for instance, or Ryvoan to Derry by rolling.... I once travelled from Braemar to Aviemore by Osmosis.

[Circles]

I think I saw Osmosis at T in the Park?

[Barcode]

Thanks for that Caber, you've all given me a good few options for this trip. I think sadly it may come down to "annual leave" with work . Counting two days for travel there and back so I think the route needs to be 3-4 days in length...I'm in good shape (I feel anyway) so am thinking of setting the EHW over 3 days, is that too ambitious?