Inverness-shire

Travelling Scotland’s Great Glen

A day by car, from Loch Ness to Commando Memorial.

Written by Graeme Johncock

For thousands of years, if you wanted to get through the Scottish Highlands from west coast to east, you would travel along the Great Glen. This natural fault line stretches around 75 miles between Fort William and Inverness and it’s a route I take dozens of times every year. With such a long history, the glen is packed with interesting things to see and do, turning an ordinary road into an incredible one-day journey

How: A day by car
Distance: About 54 miles
Starts: Loch Ness
Ends: Commando Memorial
Good for: Food and drink, Castles, Walks, History, A rainy day

The day

Loch Ness
An attraction
I’m starting this itinerary in Inverness and it’s not long after leaving the city that you reach a large layby with fantastic views across Loch Ness. While only the 2nd deepest loch in Scotland, it holds by far the most water – more than all the lakes and rivers in England and Wales combined! It’s hard to see the loch from most of the roadside as you drive, so it’s worth stopping here to see if you can spot the famous monster.
More about Loch Ness
The rest of this day is for members.
8 more stops, what to do at each, and the drive between them. Members read every one of our days, and the magazine.
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The Loch Ness Experience
An attraction
Urquhart Castle
An attraction
Invermoriston Falls
An attraction
Glen Rowan Cafe
A café
Fort Augustus
An attraction
Well of the Seven Heads
An attraction
Clan Cameron Museum
An attraction
Commando Memorial
An attraction