East Highland Way
About East Highland Way
The East Highland Way was developed by Kevin Langan in 2007. The route goes from Fort William to Aviemore, connecting the well-known routes of the West Highland Way in the South and the Great Glen Way in the North.
The route is 134km of mostly forestry track passing some of the most breath-taking scenery that the Scottish Highlands has to offer.
The majority of the route is not waymarked so some navigation skills are required but for the most part the route is not too challenging and great for both experienced and amateur walkers.
The walk is often split into 7 sections, taking on average one week to complete. Some sections of the East Highland Way finish in areas with few accommodation options, some areas the only option is to camp!
We highly recommend booking our transfer service for these areas, we can take you and your bags from any point of the East Highland Way to your next stop. Book now.
The Route
Section 1: Fort William to Spean Bridge
(19km, approx. 4.5-5.5 hours)
The East Highland Way begins at Fort William. Once leaving Fort William behind the first section is mostly on forestry paths with some great views of the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis.
Section 2: Spean Bridge to Inverlair
(16.5km, approx. 5.5-6.5 hours)
This next section follows the River Spean and takes you to the small village of Inverlair. There is no accommodation in Inverlair, the nearest hostel is 3.5km away in Tulloch.
Credit: Visit Scotland/Kenny Lam
Section 3: Inverlair to Feagour
(35km, approx. 7.5-8.5 hours)
The third section takes you from Inverlair to Feagour and is the longest section of the route. Although a long day this section has some excellent views including passing by Stob Coire Sgriodain and Chno Dearg, some of Scotland’s Munros.
There is no accommodation in Feagour so unless camping you will need to arrange transport to your chosen accommodation.
Section 4: Feagour to Laggan
(8.5km, approx. 2.5-3 hours)
The next section of the East Highland Way is a pleasant, shorter day of walking. There is the option to combine this section with the following section to make one long day. However, this section has some great views and a real feel of open space that takes you to the village of Laggan.
Section 5: Laggan to Newtonmore
(15.5km, approx. 5-6 hours)
From Laggan, the next stretch of the East Highland Way takes you on a slight incline through the moorland of Strath an Ellich. There are some great mountain views to be seen here. Passing through Glen Banchor, this section finishes at the village of Newtonmore.
Section 6: Newtonmore to Kincraig
(24.5km, approx. 6.5-7 hours)
The penultimate section of the East Highland Way takes you from Newtonmore to Kincraig and has some spectacular scenery along the way including Loch Gynack, the ruins of Ruthven Barracks and the popular watersports spot of Loch Insh.
Section 7: Kincraig to Aviemore
(16.5km, approx. 4-5 hours)
The final section of the East Highland Way is not too challenging and includes some of the best scenery of the whole route. Begin by leaving the village of Kincraig and passing the Frank Bruce sculpture. The route then passes by the River Feshie until eventually reaching Loch an Eilein, a Loch famous for the castle ruins in the centre of it. The East Highland Way finishes in the bustling village of Aviemore.
For a more detailed breakdown of the East Highland Way visit Walk Highlands.
To make your walk more pleasant save yourself the hassle of hiking with baggage and book our baggage transfer service. We can pick up your bags from any of the sections of the East Highland Way (and other walks) and take them to your next stop.