Planning your East Highland Way walk

Published 18 March 2015. Last updated 13 October 2023

The Scottish Highlands offer some of the most dramatic scenery and finest views for walkers anywhere in the British Isles. No surprise then that one of Britain’s most popular walking routes is in the area. However if you want to enjoy the Highlands and not spend your day walking in a convoy, the East Highland Way is well worth checking out.

Passing over 82 miles, the East Highland Way connects the West Highland Way in Fort William, with the Speyside Way in Aviemore. It goes through some of the quieter walking areas of the region, yet still allows you to enjoy the might of the Cairngorns and Ben Nevis range.

For the most part there’s no waymarking, meaning you need to navigate yourself. But the walking is relatively easy, and highly enjoyable. On our walk, we passed few others. But mark our words – this is a fantastic walk and one which is going to become more popular as time goes on.

The East Highland Way is 82 miles/132km long.

In this guide

  1. What is the walk like?
  2. The route
  3. Planning an itinerary
  4. Finding and booking accommodation
  5. Getting to/from the East Highland Way
  6. Guide books and maps
  7. And finally, and any questions

What is the walk like?

Whilst passing through a region of mountains and hills, the East Highland Way is a (relatively) low level walk. There’s no massive hill climbs and no Munroe bagging. For the most part, it follows good tracks or paths, with the occasional section (like most walks) spent on tarmac. There’s also two sections where there are no paths, and a few rivers and streams which need to be forded.

Much of the trail goes through woodland and forests – the attractive and the commercial – as well as following rivers and passing round attractive lochs. There’s fine views aplenty to be enjoyed, and potential diversions to take in historical sights. And if you want a walk that goes past remote (and sometimes abandoned) crofts and cottages, this is one for you.

For most of its journey you’ll see few people around, besides the occasional arrival in small hamlets and towns. Towards the end, near Aviemore, it does get busier as it passes through an estate which is popular with day hikers and cyclists. One section is also particularly remote, and for most people, will require a 21 mile day.

Unlike most of the walks we’ve covered, the East Highland Way is not generally waymarked. There are some directional signs in some parts, however they currently cover only small parts of the route. For the most part you will need to use maps and guidebooks to ensure you’re on the right path.

The route

You can see the route of the East Highland Way using the map above. Using the controls you can scroll around, zoom in and explore the route. Note that this map is a guide only, and should not be used for navigation.

The East Highland Way goes between Fort William and Aviemore, and you can see the route using the map above. Using the controls you can scroll around, zoom in and explore the route. Note that this map is a guide only, and should not be used for navigation. The full route is mapped on the East Highland Way website.

Planning an itinerary

Most people will split the East Highland Way into six or seven days, and we’ve provided itineraries for both below. Unless otherwise noted, each location has a pub, shop and at least one accommodation provider. Locations with railway stations are marked with a 🚂

6 Day Itinerary

DayFromToDistance
MilesKm
1 Fort William 🚂 Spean Bridge 🚂 12 19
2 Spean Bridge 🚂 Inverlair 1 9 14
3 Inverlair 1 Feagour 2 21 34
4 Feagour 2 Newtonmore 🚂 13½21½
5 Newtonmore 🚂 Kincraig 3 16 25½
6 Kincraig 3 Aviemore 🚂 10 16
  1. No accommodation, pub or shop. Accommodation can be found 2 miles/3½km away at Tulloch railway station, which is also served by trains.
  2. No accommodation, pub or shop. Nearest accommodation can be found at Laggan which is 4½ miles/7½km up the A86 (and which is also on the trail.) Some accommodation providers at Laggan may do a pick-up service, or local taxis may be available.
  3. Accommodation, food and drink can be found on the route at the Loch Insh Outdoor Centre, or by going to Kincraig which is ¾miles / 1km off route. There is no shop.

7 Day Itinerary

Day From To Distance
MilesKm
1 Fort William 🚂 Spean Bridge 🚂 12 19
2 Spean Bridge 🚂 Inverlair 1 9 14
3 Inverlair 1 Feagour 2 21 34
4 Feagour 2 Laggan 3
5 Laggan 3 Newtonmore 🚂 8 13
6 Newtonmore 🚂 Kincraig 4 16 25½
7 Kincraig 4 Aviemore 🚂 10 16
  1. No accommodation, shop or transport. Accommodation can be found 2 miles/3½km away at Tulloch railway station, which is also served by trains.
  2. No accommodation, pub or shop. Nearest accommodation can be found at Laggan which is 4½ miles/7½km up the A86 (and which is also on the trail.) Some accommodation providers at Laggan may do a pick-up service, or local taxis may be available.
  3. No pub or shop.
  4. Accommodation, food and drink can be found on the route at the Loch Insh Outdoor Centre, or by going to Kincraig which is ¾miles / 1km off route. There is no shop.

When to walk

Being in the Highlands, the East Highland Way is best walked between April and October, however as it is not a high level route, walkers experienced with navigating in snow may have joy all year round.

Breaking the walk up for several trips

The relative remoteness of the Scottish Highlands means that, for many, splitting the trail up won’t be necessarily practical or desirable. Still it is possible. There are railway stations at Tulloch and Newtonmore, which would allow you to split the walk into three walks each lasting two days (or a two day and a four day.) Kinguissie station – midway between Newtonmore and Kincraig also has station. Note that services are infrequent at all stations, and Tulloch station is remote and has no nearby facilities.

Splitting up the Inverlair and Feagour section

There is, as you may have spotted, a very long section between Inverlair and Feagour. Most people will be able to walk this in a day, although it is hard work. However if you do wish to split it up, one option is to break at Moy Bridge, which is 9 miles/14km from Inverlair. There is no accommodation here, however local taxi services will be able to take you to Laggan, Tulloch or some other location. Some B&Bs may also offer a pick-up and drop-off service.

Lengthening the Feagour to Laggan section

If you’re thinking about the seven day itinerary you will notice a very short day from Feagour to Laggan. However there’s plenty of nice options for walking here. Our suggestion would be to take a circular route starting from Laggan, and going through the tracks in Laggan Forest, including a trip up to the Wolfrax Café. More information can be found at the Forestry and Land Scotland website, and at the Laggan Forest website.

Extending your walk

The East Highland Way connects with three other trails, each of which can be completed in a week. The West Highland Way runs from Milngavie to Fort William. At Fort William it also connects with the Great Glen Way which runs from Inverness. Finally at the Aviemore end, the trail connects with the Speyside Way which heads along the river Spey to Buckie.

Finding and booking accommodation

For the most part the East Highland Way goes through towns and villages with a good range of accommodation providers. The East Highland Way website includes an accommodation guide, which although not exhaustive, provides many good options. In larger towns, other options can be found by using your favourite search engine.

There are three areas which pose some small – but not insurmountable – challenges. These are Inverlair, Feagour and Laggan.

The nearest accommodation for Inverlair is the Station Lodge Hostel. This is a reasonably sized independent hostel located at Tulloch railway station, 2 miles/3½km north west, and is the best bet. The infrequent trains will also take you to Spean Bridge or Fort William, although these are not at particularly useful times for walkers. Some accommodation providers may be able to provide lifts to and from Tulloch if pre-arranged. Alternatively you can use local taxi services. The following morning you will need to retrace your steps.

Feagour has no accommodation. The nearest accommodation is five miles up the road in Laggan, and you can either take a taxi or ask your accommodation provider if they have a pick-up/drop-off option, if you’re staying in Laggan

Laggan has limited options, including a hotel and a B&B, which are detailed on the Laggan Community website. One of the options is a large hotel on the edge of the village – the Laggan Hotel. For many years this dealt only with coach parties, although it appears that it may be open to the public again. However given it’s past, it’s strongly advisable to check with them first. Other alternatives would involve a taxi to Newtonmore.

Accommodation Booking Services and Baggage Transfer

Several companies will take the pain out of organising your walk, and will book accommodation for you. Generally this includes baggage transfer too. You can find a list of companies on the official East Highland Way website.

As far as we know, there are no companies that offer just baggage transfer.

Hostels and bunkbarns

Whilst it’s not quite possible to stay in hostels every night, there are a number of them across the East Highland Way:

If you plan to stay at multiple Hostelling Scotland hostels, it’s well worth considering becoming a member as this may save you some money.

Camping and Bothies

There’s a couple of campsites near the East Highland Way, near Roy Bridge and Newtonmore, however the route is also ideal for wild camping. With the exception of the section between Fort William and Spean Bridge, there are a wide number of sites which have good water supplies and flat land suitable for wild camping.

There are also two bothies. The first at Dailnaseilg, in Glen Banchor between Laggan and Newtonmore, isn’t particularly designed for sleeping as it does not have sleeping platforms. It does have a sofa, if you want to chance it.

Better for an overnight stay is Drakes Bothy, between Feshiebridge and Loch Gamhna. It’s maintained by Scottish Natural Heritage and features sleeping platforms with room for several people.

Getting to/from the East Highland Way

The East Highland Way is well served by railway transport, with train stations at both ends of the trail as well as several on the route itself.

Fort William is served by trains on the stunningly beautiful West Highland Line, which is well worth a ride. The East Highland Way also passes by Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge and Tulloch stations, which are on the same line. There are three trains a day day to/from Glasgow, with just two on Sundays. It’s also served by the Caledonian Sleeper, which runs six nights a week and connects the West Highlands with Preston, Crewe, and London, and is a fantastic way to travel.

At the other end, Aviemore is served by trains on the Inverness line, which runs to Edinburgh. The East Highland Way also passes near Newtonmore and Kinguisse stations on the same line. Services run every 1-2 hours from Aviemore and Kinguisse, with Newtonmore having a more reduced service. All three stations are also served by Caledonian Sleeper services, which run to Preston, Crewe and London.

Regular Scottish Citylink coach services run between Fort William and Glasgow. These coaches also stop at Spean Bridge. Citylink and Megabus run regular services between Aviemore and Edinburgh.

Guide Books and Maps

The East Highland Wayby Kevin Langan

There are various ways to create a walking route. And one is that someone can just write it all up in a guide book and publish it. This is exactly how the East Highland Way came into being.

The route is documented The East Highland Way, written by Kevin Langan and published by Luath Press. The book contains historical information about the trail, along with clear and detailed directions – some of the best we’ve found in any guide book. It also recommends various detours to see interesting locations near the path.

East Highland Way XT40by Havey's

Whilst the guidebook is excellent, it doesn’t contain detailed maps. There are some high level maps of varying scales, however nowhere near detailed suitable enough for navigating with on their own. However Harvey’s have published a East Highland Way map of the trail at a 1:40,000 scale. This contains the whole route, with a reasonable area around the trail covered, although the final section to Aviemore is a bit cramped.

The East Highland Way isn’t marked on Ordnance Survey maps. If you wish to use OS maps, you will need to plot the route on the maps yourself. You can do this by viewing the full route maps on the East Highland Way website. There’s also a detailed GPX file of the route. If you wish to use OS maps, the maps you will need are listed below.

Note that in 2015 the Ordnance Survey re-numbered some of its Explorer maps. Where the number changed, the previous number is given in brackets.

  • Landranger (1:50,000): 34, 35, 36, 41, 42
  • Explorer (1:25,000): 392, 399, 400, OL50 (was 401), OL56 (was 402), OL57 (was 403)

And finally, and any questions

The East Highland Way is an excellent route, and one which allows you to enjoy the Scottish Highlands without having to endure the crowds who flock to the West Highland Way. If you want a Scottish route with fine scenery, and peace and tranquillity, this is one to check out. But if there’s any justice, this fantastic route will become a popular one for years to come.

Comments

Ken Brooks

25 February 2017 at 3:07 am

Thank you for the great information. We’re coming to walk the EHW in May. Any new updates for 2017?

Tom

7 May 2017 at 11:41 pm

Would you advise against walking the EHW from east to west? I fear Aviemore would be a bit of a let down at the end of the walk.

Andrew Bowden (Rambling Man editor)

8 May 2017 at 9:04 am

Aviemore as a town, I can’t say was my favourite ever place to visit, although we only stayed for half a day. However the walk to Aviemore is rather nice. But it’s easy to walk the opposite direction. You just get the fun of walking past a branch of Argos at the end of the walk, rather than the beginning!

Peter

16 January 2018 at 6:04 pm

Just been following the WHW thread. Just to add a note we actually stayed in the Laggan Gaskmore, which was quite expensive but well worth it given the storms which were brewing up.

But they also gave us the option to pitch our tent on the lawn, again not a very well PUBLISIED fact (perhaps we ought to keep it that way).

Also, the breakfasts are to die for……

Alina

29 January 2018 at 3:31 am

Thank you for all the wonderful information!

I am a female solo traveller and am thinking of walking EHW alone in late May. I’m young(ish) and fit(ish) so not worried about the terrain but is it safe for one to do alone? Particularly wild camping?

I was thinking of doing the WHW but would prefer a more solitary adventure and it seems EHW has a lot less bodies on it?

Andrew Bowden (Rambling Man editor)

30 January 2018 at 1:28 pm

Hello Alina

The question of whether walks are safe to do alone is one that comes up a lot, so a while ago I wrote a piece titled “Is it safe to walk alone? (The answer is yes!)” The article also gives an answer from my partner, who did a video about this subject for her site. (Her answer is yes as well!)

The East Highland Way is more solitary, but it’s a great experience. I didn’t wild camp it myself, but I did wild camp the even quieter Southern Upland Way, and had no problems there.

Stephanie

2 February 2018 at 4:03 pm

Hello,

My name is Stéphanie, a French hiker who moved to Scotland?
After a go last year on the West HW, I’d like to try the East Highland Way this Spring.
I read on a few websites (including yours) about the track being mainly unmarked and I have a few question about it as I’ll travel on my own.
I bought the Harvey’s strip map of the trail and was wondering if it’s enough to find easily the way ? Is there any situation with different paths and I’d have a doubt about the direction to follow ? I know there also 2 parts of the trail with no path at all, does the direction still make sense with the help of the map ?

Thank you,

Ken Brooks

3 February 2018 at 1:03 pm

Stephanie, my adult son and I walked the EHW May, 2017. It was tremendous. I loved every minute of it, but there were a few times we were unsure of the way. That was despite having both the Harvey Map and Kevin Langan’s book. There are a couple of places where Kevin may not realize he is a bit unclear, and the map, although accurate, cannot show every detail, so I definitely recommend you take both. And a compass. And a relaxed attitude. You will love it!
P.S. The most confusing spot is #351 on Harvey map C, near Lochan na H Earba. Kevin says turn left after the footbridge, but you really go straight. But turning left takes you down to Aderikie Estate, which wouldn’t be so bad. I learned there are so many trails (and “the right to roam”) that as long as you keep your bearings, you’ll end up where you want to be, albeit a bit more weary.
P.P.S. Be sure you stay at The Rumblie in Laggan. And don’t miss Glen Banchor between Balgowan and Newtonmore. Breathtakingly beautiful!

Stéphanie

5 March 2018 at 10:01 am

Dear Ken,

Thank you very much for your feedback which is helpful !
I take note of your comments to be well prepared ;)

Thank you again !

Stéphanie

Mathieu

5 August 2018 at 2:42 pm

Hello,

I am planning on combining the EHW with the Spey Way as my next hiking adventure.

I’d like to end my hike in Ford William and extend it with a visit to the isle of Skye.
So my question on the EHW, is it possible to do it the otherway around? Starting in Aviemore and ending it in Ford Willian (With the Harvey map and the Kevin Langan’s book)?
Or is that something you would not advise?

Thank you,
Have a good day

Andrew Bowden (Rambling Man editor)

13 August 2018 at 10:33 am

Hi Mathieu – absolutely no problem to do it the other way round. It’s a great walk in either direction.

Flo Nicolson

13 September 2018 at 1:41 pm

Hi, friends and myself completed the WHW in 5 days and I was wondering if it is possible to do the EHW in 5 days as well.

Many thanks

Flo

Andrew Bowden (Rambling Man editor)

17 September 2018 at 9:09 am

Hello Flo
It would be possible to walk it in five days, but limited accommodation – and indeed access to roads and transport links – mean you’d most likely need to combine two stages together into one very long day.

Alastair Garrod

26 November 2018 at 1:36 pm

Planning the EHW for 2019. I notice the Bunroy Campsite at Roybridge east of Spean Bridge, is on the wrong side of the river for EHW trekers. Does anyone know if the Spean is fordable by the campsite during normal flow? – by fordable, I mean with boots and socks off up to the knee! If not, has anyone used the footbridge, a mile east, at Achluachrach?

Andrew Bowden (Rambling Man editor)

26 November 2018 at 2:16 pm

Alastair – I had lunch at at a spot near Roybridge, and there’s quite a lot of rocks in the water round there. We didn’t cross the river, but did walk out into it. There’s a photo of it over on flickr. I think you could probably do it the way you describe.

The Achluachrach footbridge is a suspension bridge and whilst we didn’t need to, we did cross it over and back again. Made a video of it too. It’s a bit of a trek to Roybridge but you’ll have no problems getting over it.

Kim Camilleri

13 April 2019 at 5:59 am

Hi,
We will be doing the EHW after the WHW… is it difficult to find pubs or inns after a whole day walking ? Do you suggest to take a good supply of food with us? Thanks

Andrew Bowden (Rambling Man editor)

13 April 2019 at 9:19 pm

Hello Kim. If you want pubs, then there are none in Laggan or near Tulloch – the second and third day of walking. However the B&B in Laggan, the Rumblie, has a bar. If you don’t mind travelling at the end of the day you can get somewhere with a pub.

The rest of the trail you won’t have a problem with.

Fiona

19 May 2019 at 11:05 pm

Hello,

My friends and I are interested in completing the East Highland Way. We have already walked the West Highland Way, the Great Glen Way and the Spey Way, enjoying them all very much.

Can I ask your advice regarding the accommodation arrangements we are considering this time? The possible plan is to base ourselves in Aviemore for 3/4 days , and using public transport to journey back and forth each morning to the start of the next walk stage, then at a suitable mid way point, transfering our base to Fort William and doing the same process from there to complete the final stages over another 3/4 days. Baggage transfer will be reduced and sometimes it’s great to not be repacking your kit every night!

Thanks,
Fiona.

Andrew Bowden (Rambling Man editor)

20 May 2019 at 9:13 am

Hello Fiona – it’s certainly feasible to do what you suggest, although buses and trains in the area are not particularly frequent. Especially in the Laggan area. You may want to look at the timetables and check that there’s everything’s going to match up.

Paul McCaffrey

21 April 2022 at 2:42 pm

I am jus wondering what best to do with carrying water with there being a lack of shops on the way. Is it easiest just filling up from the river along the way?

Andrew Bowden (Rambling Man editor)

22 April 2022 at 10:35 am

Hi Paul – it’s certainly an option for several sections of the walk. Personally I use a couple of water bottles, and also take a Platy 2 litre bottle as well so I can top them up on the way. But it does add extra weight.

Kat

24 November 2022 at 4:01 pm

Great reading, thank you!
I see you’ve the second day from Spean bridge to Inveracity as 14km, other sources say 16km. Which is this correct? Just trying to work out how much time to leave to catch the train from Tulloch.

Andrew Bowden (Rambling Man editor)

24 November 2022 at 10:24 pm

Hi Kat – Spean Bridge itself isn’t on the trail – it’s about 1km extra walking. So when I say “Spean Bridge” above, what I mean is the car park at the end of Irish Road, to the east of Spean Bridge village. From there to Inveracity is 14km – add on the 1km walk from the village and you get 15km.

BUT! there’s another path from the East Highland Way to the village that comes off the trail a little earlier. So if you took it from there, you’ll be looking at a little further.

In short, everyone’s probably “right” on this one, and I’d err on the side of caution, assume a bit longer, and leave yourself some extra time. Although there’s only four trains a day in each direction, so you may have to do that anyway!

Brian

25 July 2023 at 11:16 pm

Now that the Speyside Way has been extended to Newtonmore, there is an overlap between the SW and EHW in the interval between Newtonmore and Aviemore, from what I can see the two routes are not identical over this section? I notice that the Badenoch Way also covers the same section with yet another variation, is this not a bit illogical?

Andrew Bowden (Rambling Man editor)

26 July 2023 at 10:03 am

Hi Brian – no, the Speyside Way and East Highland Way have quite different routes. But they’re both quite different trails with different goals and experiences. The Speyside Way stays as close as possible to the River Spey, whereas the East Highland Way wanders off through forests and hills. There’s quite a few cases across the UK where multiple trails serve similar areas with different routes. It would be neater on a map to line everything up, but there’s no real need to actually do that!

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