The Great Glen Cycleway spans 76 miles from Inverness to Fort William, taking in brilliant views over huge lochs and out to the rocky highlands. The trail follows the Great Glen, which splits the Scottish Highlands in two along an ancient faultline, but it’s far wigglier than that grand scale makes it appear on the map.

You’ll find the trail intermixes ribbons of tarmac with gravel forestry road and approachable singletrack along the walking footpath, dipping down to the waterside and then climbing steeply to earn great views. Up top, keep your eyes peeled for buzzards, red kites and ospreys, and in the forest, hope for red squirrels and pine martens.

In places, the Great Glen Cycleway is a flexible route, with low- and high-level options to choose from. Broadly, though, it sticks to the same lanes and paths as the Great Glen Way that’s followed by walkers – the old diversion for cyclists has been removed now that the primary trail is suitable for two wheels.

What Bike?

For the Great Glen Cycleway, you’ll want a mountain bike to deal with those stretches of singletrack and the odd rocky section, although a gravel bike should suffice.