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The Great Glen Canoe Trail

Paddle across Scotland via The Caledonian Canal, Loch Ness and so much more
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This epic trip starts on the West coast of Scotland near Fort William and finishes near Inverness on the East coast, crossing an entire country! Following an ancient fault line of ancient Lochs linked with canals and the Locks in between which must be portaged, adding to the varied nature of this adventure. Normally we'll paddle tandem canoes but solo canoeists and kayakers are also welcome. We'll carry everything with us to be completely self sufficient and wild camp by the waterside each evening.

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I've completed this trip nearly 60 times over the last 15 years and no two trips are ever the same; different weather conditions and groups all make for different experiences. However we always make great memories and bonds of friendship are forged, sometimes for more adventures to come.

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Day One: 

Starting on the sheltered canal this is a chance to hone your paddling skills, warming up for the challenge ahead. After 10km its our first portage at Gairlochy. After this we launch onto the dark waters of Loch Lochy and find our first wildcamp in the forest on the remote northern shores. We'll set up camp and enjoy our first cooked meal together.

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Day Two:

After breakfast we'll continue along Loch Lochy, past the ever present Clunie Forest with its mountain streams, stunning pines and maybe the glimpse of an eagle soaring on the thermals overhead. During the day there will be a brew break and a lunch stop. We arrive at South Laggan; the end of the Loch and another portage. After this we'll either make camp and enjoy the hospitality of the Eagle Barge for Dinner or continue a short distance onto Loch Oich to find another lochside wild camp.

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Day Three:

This is the most varied of the days, constantly switching between paddling and portaging from Loch Oich, along the canal, or the River Oich through Fort Augustus to Loch Ness. After a brief stop in the town of Fort Augustus to replenish supplies we'll head out onto Loch Ness in seach of another wild camp location.

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Day Four:

Loch Ness is so long that a canoeist at one end cannot see the other due to the curvature of the earth! We'll gradually chip away at this behemoth, stopping regularly for snacks, drinks and to rest our weary limbs. The conditions will dictate how far we get but we have several camping options, one is near a pub which often provides that additional motivation.

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Day Five:

After a hearty breakfast we'll be ready to finally conquer Loch Ness, getting to the end is an enormous achievement and well earned! After celebrating it's time to unpack, load up and head home or on to the next adventure!

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Scroll down for more info below in the FAQs 

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£400 per person

15th - 19th July 2026

FAQs

Where Do We Meet?

Depending on the bespoke logistics for your trip we'll either meet near Fort William or Inverness.

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How long are the days?

That all depends on the conditions and how much progress we make as a group but we can expect to be journeying for around 6-8 hours per day. with regular stops for drinks, snacks and to stetch our legs. Longer days may be requie if conditions are not favourable but will always be by mutal agreement. It's a challenge yes but it should still be enjoyable.

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What Do You Provide?

A comprehensive information pack to help you prepare for the expedition will be sent to you upon booking. On the trip you'll get five days of expert guiding tailored to the group and with emphasis on enjoyment.

 

I Don't Have All Of My Own Equipment...

Dependent on your requirements you can rent some or all of the required equipment or you can bring your own and just take advantage of our expert knowledge and guidance. Hopefully this allows you complete flexibility with regard to cost.

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​How Much Experience Do I Need / Is This Suitable For Me?

​The majority of this trip is flat water with one optional short simple river section therefore with the right attitude this can be done by people with no prior canoeing or camping experience. There is a degree of physicality required but we will work as a team to complete the challenge and we have many options to share the load.

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Tell Me About The Portaging...

Portaging is where we carry all of our equipment from one peice of water to another. There are a maximum of six portages on this trip all of which can make use of canoe trolleys. This is quite physical but with good teamwork and careful tactics we can manage the difficulty

 

Where Will We Stay?

This trip has a mixture of wild camping by the side of the water and trailblazer sites which have rudimentary facilities.

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What Sort of Facilities Are There?

We'll aim to wild camp so no toilets in camp. However the facilites on the Caledonian Canal are excellent and we'll have access to a flushing toilet and running water everyday at some point.

There ae a couple of pubs and cafes on the route but Highland opening hours fluctuate with the weather and season so they cannot be relied upon.

Fort Augustus is a small town halfway through the trip, the small shop here is a good chance to restock and we can normally get most foodstuffs if we'e not too fussy.

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What if the Weather is Bad?

​The prevailing wind blows from the South West so the 'normal' way to do the trip is from Fort William to Inverness, however we will keep a close eye on the conditions and may choose to switch direction. The wind is the only serious limiting factor on this trip and having vehicles at both ends allows us the flexibility to do a round trip if conditions are too serious. A large group shelter will be provided for camp to keep everyone out of the worst of the weather.

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What About Getting Back To The Start Point?

We'll work together to make sure we have vehicles at both ends of the trip so everyone can get a lift back. This will be done in the morning of the first day or potentially the evening before.

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What Equipment Will I Need?

  • Your chosen craft with buoyancy fitted. This can be an open canoe or touring style kayak, it needs to be capable of carrying everything listed below.

  • Paddle & spare

  • Suitable warm and waterproof clothing for on the water

  • Buoyancy Aid

  • Helmet (if we choose to paddle the river Oich)

  • Canoe Trolley

  • Drybags or Barrels to keep everything in (remember we'll be carrying everthing on the portages)

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In Camp

  • Sleeping System (Tent, Hammock, Tarp or Bivvy Bag)

  • Sleeping Mat

  • Sleeping Bag

  • Travel Pillow

  • Complete change of clothes including shoes and waterproofs

  • Warm Hat & Gloves

  • Clothes to Sleep in

  • Battery Pack

  • Headtorch

  • Book or Cards

  

Cooking

  • Stove

  • Fuel (gas is probably the most common)

  • Something to light it with

  • Pots and pans suitable for the meals you intend to cook

  • Cutlery (a Spork will do pretty much everything)

  • Something to eat out of (This can be your pan if you want to save space)

  • Mug for hot drinks (a sealable thermal flask is great here)

  • Small sponge/scourer

  • Eco-friendly washing up liquid (decant this into a small travel bottle)

A few Zip-lock bags are invaluable for keeping things separate and for storing rubbish

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​What Food Will We Eat?

  • Breakfasts - the most important meal of the day. Plenty of carbs and sugar!

  • Lunches  (these should require minimum preparation and be ready to eat, it may not be practical to stop and cook)

  • Teabags/Coffee/Hot Chocolate – your choice. If you take milk, think about having small individual sachets.

  • Dinners – the main event. This is up to you but I’ve got some pointers to help make things easier:

    • Avoid raw chicken & pork. Vacuum packed red meat or pre-cooked chicken breast works really well especially if its frozen.

    • Veg generally doesn’t need to be refrigerated and keeps quite well.

    • Weigh out ingredients and bring just what you need in Ziplock bags.

    • The longer it takes to cook, the longer it will be until you eat. Keep it simple

    • Don’t forget the extras that make things easier and tastier; oil, salt & pepper, herbs, spices, stock etc.

  • Enough water for drinking and cooking (5l per person per day is normally enough)​

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