Great Glen Canoe Trail (GGCT)
PADDLE ACROSS SCOTLAND, FROM SEA TO SEA
Fort William (Outdoor Capital of the UK) to Inverness (Capital City of the Highlands). Let the adventure begin!
Are you looking for the next big adventure? Do you want to experience multiple days in the breathtaking Scottish wilderness, wild-camping along the way? Are you looking for a company that recognises how important these few days are for you and will go out of their way to make sure you have the best trip possible? If the answer to the above is yes, then this is the trip for you and we are the company to go with!
Using us: We pride ourselves in treating every customer like our first! We know how much planning you would have done getting ready for this expedition and the value you will get from it. We are with you every step of the way, from planning to execution and here to assist however we can. We will keep an eye on the forecast with you in the days leading up to the trip and be in touch if we think you need to consider anything out of the ordinary. No question is too big or small and we are more than happy to take the time to chat through plans and preparation in the lead up to your venture. Although your trip is likely to be “plain sailing” (with hopefully amazing weather), if it’s not and you come across any difficulties whilst on the trail, we will be just a phone call away to offer advice and in the worst case scenario, come to assist as soon as we can (even if it’s out of office hours).
Kit drop-off: The Great Glen Canoe Trail starts from the top of Neptune’s Staircase (Banavie, Fort William). If you wish to physically touch the sea on the West Coast before undertaking your coast to coast crossing, please feel free to do the 30 minute walk from Corpach Basin to Neptune’s staircase before meeting us. We will meet you here with all your kit and take the time to make sure you are completely set with all the last minute bits of information you need. This includes how to properly use your portage trolley & canoe sail, how to expect the forecasted winds to behave on the different bodies of water you will be crossing, local knowledge on the wild camping locations you have chosen, etc etc. Before we wish you luck and wave you off, we will make sure you are 100% happy with your plans for the trip you are about to undertake.
Kit pick-up: The Great Glen Canoe Trail finishes at Muirtown Locks, Inverness. This is where we will pick up your hired kit. Again, if you wish to touch the sea on the East coast, you can take the short walk to do so. If we are unable to meet you in person upon your finish, we will provide you with a padlock and ask you to leave the kit locked up for us so we can pick it up later that day. This enables you to finish when is naturally right for you, rather than having to rush or slow down your pace to hit pre-set timings.
Most of the time the trail is paddled West to East to make use of the prevailing SW winds. On occasions, the winds switch to NE. Therefore, we advise making a plan A of West to East with a plan B backup of East to West (if on the unlikely event you need to swap directions last minute).
How long does the trail take: Although it can be completed in 4 or less days, we strongly recommend giving yourself 5 days to make the most of your 95km trip and to allow time incase the weather decides not to “play ball” one day. If you happened to finish ahead of schedule, we are happy to pick up the hired kit early.
How to get yourself back to your vehicle at the end: There is a public bus which runs from Inverness to Fort William which you can catch upon finishing the trail. It’s very simple and most customers find this works really well for them. The bus station in Inverness is only a 20 minute walk (or 5 minutes taxi ride) from Muirtown Locks. There is a taxi shop based at Muirtown Locks too! Once back in Fort William, again, you are only a 20 minute walk or 5 minutes taxi ride from the bus stop to Neptune’s Staircase.
Toileting / shower facilities along the route: The Scottish Canals have several toilet / shower blocks along the route which you can pay to have access to. The key can be picked-up and returned to/from their offices in Corpach Basin (Fort William end) and Muirtown Basin (Inverness end). The fee for this key is very reasonable and is paid directly to Scottish canals when you pick up the key. If you wish to know more, please let us know upon booking so we can provide more information for you.
We strongly recommend that all participants take out travel insurance that includes trip cancellation, medical coverage, and personal liability. This ensures you’re financially protected in case unexpected events prevent you from finishing the trip.
Canoe Hire Prices
- Canoe hire: £45 per day (including paddles, buoyancy aids, bailer & 1 trolley per 2 canoes for portages)
- 60L dry barrel: £10 per day
- Down-wind sail: £5 per day
We charge a small fee to shuttle your kit to and from your paddling destination. This is a set fee regardless of the number of boats you choose to hire. Drop-off to Neptune’s Staircase – £35. Pick-pick from Inverness – £125.
Kayak Hire Prices
- Kayak hire: £45 per day (including paddle, buoyancy aid, spray deck & 1 trolley per 2 kayaks for portages)
- 20L dry bag: £5 per day
We charge a small fee to shuttle your kit to and from your paddling destination. This is a set fee regardless of the number of boats you choose to hire. Drop-off to Neptune’s Staircase – £35. Pick-pick from Inverness – £125.
Please note:
Previous canoeing / kayaking experience is essential for your hire to take place. We do not allow our boats to be taken on the rivers which run parallel to some of the canal sections, instead we ask for you to stick to the main trail of the canal. A £200 security deposit will be requested in the days leading up to your hire to safeguard the hired equipment against any damage.
Minimum age is 18 years old. For groups with under 18 year olds, please enquire about a guided GGCT expedition.
If you are over 6ft 3 in height or are a clothing size larger than XL, please let us know upon enquiring.
Book now:
To discuss your hire needs and to book, please contact us.
When emailing, to speed up your booking process, please provide as much information about you and your group as possible. We will need to know about previous paddling experience (as detailed as possible) and ages of any under 18 year old’s in your group. If you are also able to let us know if you wish to hire the additional items of dry barrels / bags and canoe sails (recommended), that would be helpful.
Additional Information:
The Scottish Canal website has lots of useful information, such as maps like the ones below that have been taken directly from their website:
Before setting off:
- Please register for the trail here. It is free to do so and takes less than 5 minutes
- Please read up on the Scottish Outdoor Access Code here.
- Please make sure you pack footwear that can get soaking wet whilst launching and landing on the lochs to avoid damaging the boats. We also strongly recommend packing a midge net for the evenings and kneeling pads / mat for use whilst canoeing.
Our Fleet
Canoes
- 7 x Hou Prospectors: 16ft canoes outfitted with 2 x webbed seats, buoyancy blocks and painters
Hou canoes are high performance boats, manufactured in the UK and used by many leading adventure companies. We keep our canoes in great condition, thoroughly washing them down between each customer. We keep on top of boat maintenance and replace our fleet when needed so that you have the best equipment.
Kayaks
- 2 x Dagger Stratos 14.5: Size S
- 5 x Dagger Stratos 14.5: Size L
The Dagger Stratos is a fantastic touring boat. It’s stable, manoeuvrable and extremely comfortable, whilst having the additional quality of being playful in the swell. We keep our kayaks in great condition, thoroughly washing them down between each customer. We keep on top of boat maintenance and replace our fleet when needed so that you have the best equipment.
Header picture photo credit: @exploremorephoto
