Car Travel in Great Glen with Inverness and Loch Ness

The fast A9 brings you to Inverness in roughly three hours from Glasgow or Edinburgh, even if you take your time.

As in all areas of rural Scotland, a car is a great asset for exploring the Great Glen and Speyside, especially since the best of the area is away from the main roads. You can use the main A82 from Inverness to Fort William, or use the smaller B862/B852 roads (former military roads) to explore the much quieter east side of Loch Ness. The same applies to Speyside, where several options open up away from the A9, especially through the pinewoods by Coylumbridge and Feshiebridge, east of the main road. Mallaig, west of Fort William, has improving road connections, but the road is still narrow and winding in many places, and rail remains the most enjoyable way to experience the rugged hills and loch scenery between these two places. In Morvern the area across Loch Linnhe southwest of Fort William, you may encounter single-lane roads, which require slower speeds and concentration.