Long distance
East Highland Way
Links Fort William to Aviemore through the heart of the Highlands via the Great Glen, Laggan and the Monadhliath foothills. The natural eastward continuation of the West Highland Way. 6 days, 131 km (81 mi), 2,500 m of cumulative ascent; a waymarked route best tackled best west-to-east with the prevailing weather behind you — a manageable mid-distance route.
Quick facts
- Distance
- 131 km/ 81 mi
- Typical days
- 6
- Total ascent
- 2500 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Start → Finish
- Fort William → Aviemore
- Best direction
- West to East
- Water sources
- Fort William, Spean Bridge, Tulloch, Laggan, Newtonmore, Kingussie and Aviemore have taps, shops and pubs. Glens Spean and Roy have reliable burns. The Drumochter / Monadhliath crossing carries water — treat. Carry 1.5L on remote interior sections.
- Mobile signal
- EE/Vodafone at the main settlements (Fort William, Spean Bridge, Newtonmore, Aviemore). Signal drops in Glen Roy, on the Monadhliath plateau, and on the climb to Drumochter. The A86 corridor has decent coverage.
✔ Waymarked throughout
Approximate profile derived from per-stage ascent — accurate on total climb and pattern, not a pixel-precise GPX trace.
Our take
The East Highland Way was designed as the logical sequel to the WHW — walk both and you cross Scotland from Glasgow to Aviemore. The route passes through genuinely wild terrain in the Laggan and Dalwhinnie sections. Less polished than the WHW but more rewarding for experienced walkers. The Cairngorms arrival at Aviemore feels earned.
Highlights
- Caledonian Canal from Fort William
- Laggan and the Monadhliath
- Dalwhinnie — Scotlands highest distillery
- Cairngorms approach to Aviemore
Day-by-day itinerary
A suggested 6-day schedule. Adjust to your fitness and conditions.
1Fort William to Laggan Locks22km · 350m ascent
Along the Caledonian Canal towpath from Neptune's Staircase through the Great Glen to Laggan Locks at the south end of Loch Lochy.
- Terrain
- Canal towpath, forest tracks. Flat and easy.
- Overnight
- Laggan Locks has the Eagle Barge Inn (floating pub) and a B&B. Great Glen Hostel at South Laggan.
- Stats
- Fort William → Laggan Locks · 22km · ↑350m
2Laggan Locks to Laggan26km · 500m ascent
Leave the Great Glen and head east over the hills to Laggan village. The landscape transitions from glen to moorland.
- Terrain
- Hill tracks, forest roads, moorland paths. Some rough ground.
- Overnight
- Laggan has the Rumble Bridge B&B and the Pottery Bunkhouse.
- Stats
- Laggan Locks → Laggan · 26km · ↑500m
3Laggan to Dalwhinnie22km · 400m ascent
Through the Monadhliath foothills and along the upper Spey to Dalwhinnie, home to Scotland's highest distillery at 326m.
- Terrain
- Moorland tracks, river paths, old drove roads.
- Overnight
- Dalwhinnie has the Loch Ericht Hotel and limited B&Bs. Distillery worth a visit.
- Stats
- Laggan → Dalwhinnie · 22km · ↑400m
4Dalwhinnie to Kingussie22km · 350m ascent
Along the Spey valley past Newtonmore to Kingussie in the Cairngorms National Park. The Highland Folk Museum at Newtonmore is excellent.
- Terrain
- River paths, farm tracks, old military road.
- Overnight
- Kingussie has hotels, B&Bs and the Duke of Gordon Hotel.
- Stats
- Dalwhinnie → Kingussie · 22km · ↑350m
5Kingussie to Kincraig18km · 300m ascent
Along the Spey valley through Insh Marshes RSPB reserve — one of the finest wetland habitats in Scotland — to the village of Kincraig.
- Terrain
- Riverside paths, marshland boardwalks, quiet lanes.
- Overnight
- Kincraig has B&Bs. The Highland Wildlife Park is nearby.
- Stats
- Kingussie → Kincraig · 18km · ↑300m
6Kincraig to Aviemore21km · 400m ascent
The final stretch through Rothiemurchus Forest — ancient Caledonian pine — to Aviemore with the Cairngorm plateau visible ahead.
- Terrain
- Forest trails, riverside paths, some hill walking.
- Overnight
- Aviemore has everything — hotels, hostels, outdoor shops and restaurants.
- Stats
- Kincraig → Aviemore · 21km · ↑400m
Hills along the route
Munros, Corbetts, Grahams and Donalds within 5km of the route line — extensions or rest-day options.
Transport
To start (Fort William)
Train · ScotRail / Caledonian Sleeper
Glasgow Queen Street to Fort William (West Highland Line); London Euston to Fort William (Caledonian Sleeper)
ScotRail 3–4/day (~3h45 from Glasgow); Sleeper 6 nights/week
Scenic West Highland Line is itself an attraction.
Check times & book →
From finish (Aviemore)
Train · ScotRail / LNER / Caledonian Sleeper
Aviemore to Edinburgh / Glasgow / Inverness on the Highland Main Line
Hourly to Inverness (~42 min); ~9 daily to Edinburgh (~3h)
Caledonian Sleeper also stops at Aviemore for direct London Euston services.
Check times & book →
Best months
Accommodation
Fort William, Laggan, Dalwhinnie and Aviemore have accommodation. The middle sections are remote — wild camping or plan carefully. Hotels, B&Bs and bunkhouses at Fort William, Laggan, Newtonmore, Kingussie and Aviemore; the middle sections at Dalwhinnie have limited beds, so consider wild-camping.
Resupply
Fort William and Aviemore have full shops. Laggan has a village shop. Dalwhinnie has a distillery but limited supplies. Carry 2 days between towns. Co-op and Tesco at Fort William and Aviemore; smaller shops at Laggan and Kingussie. Longest gap is around 40km between Laggan and Dalwhinnie — carry two days.
Connect with
Chain into a longer expedition by combining with adjacent long-distance routes.
East Highland Way + Great Glen Way
Connects at Fort William (west end of East Highland Way)
Walk the East Highland Way from Aviemore to Fort William then north on the Great Glen Way to Inverness for an east-to-Highland traverse.
East Highland Way + Speyside Way
Connects at Aviemore (east end of East Highland Way)
Finish the East Highland Way at Aviemore and continue north on the Speyside Way along the River Spey.
East Highland Way + West Highland Way
Both terminate / start at Fort William
Combine for a Lowlands-to-Cairngorms transit: Milngavie north on the WHW to Fort William, then east on the East Highland Way to Aviemore.
Current conditions
Weather at the start point (Fort William)
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 04:27
- Sunset
- 22:15
- Civil dawn
- 03:20
- Civil dusk
- 23:22
NOAA Solar Calculator · 16 June 2026
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Getting to and from the East Highland Way
Train and town anchors at each end of the route — on TripSCOT.
Start: Fort William station
Ben Nevis, Mamores, Aonachs, Knoydart ferry connection
0km from Fort William
tripscot.co.uk
On TripSCOTFinish: Aviemore station
Cairngorm plateau; Lairig Ghru; Speyside Way; Glenmore
0km from Aviemore
tripscot.co.uk
On TripSCOTStock up: Fort William
Ben Nevis base, West Highland Line, gateway to Lochaber
tripscot.co.uk