520 million years ago, what is essentially part of North America was smashed with another ancient continent to form Great Britain during the Caledonian Orogeny. You can still see the seam of this epic collision from space as The Great Glen Fault.*
The fault encompasses some great lochs* such as Loch Ness and Loch Lochy, which were connected in the early 1800s to form the Caledonian Canal… yes, you can sail right through Scotland!
On this adventure from Fort William to Inverness, we sail along the Caledonian Canal and hike along the Great Glen Way, a trail parallel to the canal. The days are spent with some hearty hikes which return to the boat for food and a night’s socializing and sleep. Staying aboard means you don’t carry a big pack on the trails and have a civilized place to sleep but make no mistake, you should be relatively fit and eager to explore if you want to enjoy this rugged trip. That said, don’t worry… if you don’t feel you can make a particular day’s excursion with our knowledgeable hike leader, you can stay aboard as the skipper sails the scenic Highlands to rejoin the group further along the beautiful Great Glen.
*Glen and loch are the Scottish terms for valley and lake respectively.
The boat will leave from about half a mile from the Banavie train station and will take you to about a mile from the Inverness train station. (Google Map)
We sail the morning of the second day so you can arrive late. The exact timing depends on a factors such as the tide and won’t be known until the first day of the trip.
All our sailing and hiking trips provide a small-ship experience which doesn’t require any sailing know-how, but if you’re a sailor, or want to learn, we encourage your participation in sailing the boat and love to share our knowledge of this sublime way to travel.
Once you come aboard, unpack your gear once and every night your accommodations and the gear will be ready for you in a new location. This way you can take on more challenging day hikes unencumbered by a heavy backpack.
If you have the energy after hiking, downtime on the boat can be spent paddling the tandem kayak, fishing, or just socializing.
We meet at the boat just inside Neptune’s Stairway as people arrive throughout the day. If you come early, Fort William is a great place to explore. Feel free to leave your luggage aboard the boat and do a day hike on Britain’s highest peak, Ben Nevis, or just walk around town. That night, there’s a welcome dinner after which you can chill aboard the boat or check out a traditional Scottish ceilidh in Fort William.
Directions: The boat will be positioned about a half mile from the Banavie train station. Closer to the trip, we’ll provide a map and even a website which displays real-time location tracking of the boat.
Sail distance: 0
Hike distance: 0
We all sail from Banavie to the scenic lighthouse on the southern tip of Loch Lochy. Here you’ll disembark to begin a hike which will include a nice viewpoint from the top of Monadh Beag. The scenic hike down will include a waterfall and you’ll rejoin the boat at Laggan Locks. That night we’ll probably dine on another boat, the quirky and popular Eagle Barge Inn.
Hike distance: 20k
Sail distance: 5M
After a hearty breakfast at Laggan Locks, you’ll hike to the half-way point of Fort Augustus. If time permits, you can learn about the history of the canal at the Caledonian Canal Heritage Centre, or see a 17th century reenactor demonstrate clan weaponry at the Clansmen Centre.
Hike distance: 14k
Sail distance: 14M
This is the longest hike which takes you from Fort Augustus to the ancient Urquhart Castle. Because the hike is particularly long and this leg will offer some of the best sailing, you may wish to stay aboard and sail beautiful Loch Ness to the castle, but you risk being attacked by the Loch Ness Monster.
Hike distance: 30k
Sail distance: 14M
On the final day of the trip, we all sail together to a marina in Inverness. The marina is only a mile to the Inverness train station, but if you’re feeling tired from your adventure, taxis pick up from the marina.
Hike distance 0
Sail distance: 12M
