Things to See and Do in Scotland's Great Glen
Turbulent History and Peaceful Scenery in the Highlands of Scotland
Nov 7, 2009
The Great Glen, or Glen Albyn, is a major feature of the Scottish landscape. Formed many millions of years ago, the glen was created by a major strike-slip fault and is not only obvious on all maps of the country – it is also visible from space. It is generally regarded as separating the Northern Highlands and the Grampian Mountains.
At over 60 miles in length between Fort William and Inverness, the Great Glen has provided a natural routeway for humans for the thousands of years in which it has been settled. Early Christian missionaries, soldiers and now tourists have all made use of its opportunity for a relatively easy route through otherwise hostile terrain. As well as roads, the Caledonian Canal provides a maritime link between east and west coasts.
Fort William and Ben Nevis
Dominated by Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest mountain at 4,406 feet (1,334 metres) Fort William lies at the western end of the Great Glen and is the main centre for a significant area of the weatern Highlands. There are regular trains from Glasgow and on to Mallaig, connecting with the ferry for the Isle of Skye. The town is the starting (or finishing!) point for two long-distance routes, the West Highland Way and the Great Glen Way.
Fort William was founded in 1645 as a garrison town. Originally named Inverlochy, it was renamed in 1690 after the then King, William IV. Although it owes its existence to its strategic military importance, it has become known as a tourist centre, largely as a result of its proximity to Ben Nevis. As a tourist centre is popular among walkers, climbers ands skiers, rather than as a destination in its own right.
The Commando Memorial, Spean Bridge
As well as having strategic importance during the wars of the seventeenth and eighteenth century, the Great Glen has also played a significant part in more recent events. During the second World War the wild countryside along and around it was used as a training ground for he UK’s elite special forces.
In 1952 a memorial was built, in the form of a bronze statue of three soldiers gazing out at the countryside around them. Signposted off the A82 near Spean Bridge, a few miles north of Fort William, the memorial is not only a moving place, but also offers spectacular views of the mountains including (on a good day) Ben Nevis.
Along the Great Glen Way
During the last ice age, the ice gouged out hollows along the glen where the fault formation had left the ground brittle and easily moved. As the ice melted, these filled with water and became the lochs which characterise the glen today. Of the three by far the best known is Loch Ness, but both Loch Oich and Loch Lochy offer attractive views and places to eat. Water sports are also available in Loch Oich.
The main route along the Glen is the A82 – a quick and relatively easy drive (though like most roads in the Highlands, it is single carriageway). Walkers and cyclists have the option of the Great Glen Way, a largely off-road route from Fort William to Inverness; while sailors can follow the Caledonian Canal – allowing them to cut across Scotland without needing to take the long and sometimes hazardous route round the north coast.
The glen offers a range of things for the visitor to see and do. As well as the spectacular scenery there are villages and monuments. Places to visit include:
- The Well of the Seven Heads, near Loch Oich, where seven members of one family – a father and his sons – were murdered and beheaded in revenge for a the murder of two others
- Fort Augustus, a village at the southern end of Loch Ness, where a flight of locks descends from the Caledonian Canal
- Urquhart Castle, a spectacular ruin on the banks of Loch Ness, close to Drumnadrochit
- Drumnadrochit, the village on the loch most closely linked with the Loch Ness monster. Two visitor centres here provide much information.
At Fort Augustus, the visitor has a choice of how to progress along the Glen, with the A82 following the northern shore of the loch and the B862 the south. The former is the quicker route and the one which is taken by the Great Glen Way; but the slower, more up-and-down southern route is equally attractive. Both routes eventually lead to Inverness
Inverness
At the head of the Great Glen, the ‘capital of the Highlands’, has been settled since prehistoric times and, like Fort William, was of significant military importance. (Its castle, demolished during the Jacobite uprising, was rebuilt in the nineteenth century). Picturesquely situated on the River Ness, the city is a major regional centre and, as such, offers a huge range of activities, accommodation and facilities for the visitor.
A major communication centre, Inverness is not only the end of both the Great Glen way and the Caledonian Canal. It also provides a point at which visitors can head further into the Highlands. There are trains to Kyle of Lochalsh, Wick and Thurso on the north coat and regular services to Edinburgh and Aberdeen; and roads up to the wilder fastnesses of Scotland.
From Inverness to Fort William, the Great Glen is more than just a scenic route. Its history and its visitor facilities make it a destination in itself, and one which the visitor to Scotland should not ignore.
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