Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Today I tackled the final and longest stretch of the Great Glen Way alongside Woody, pushing through a gruelling 21-mile day to finally reach the finish line in Inverness. Along the way, we experienced stunning woodland scenery, caught glimpses of Loch Ness, and stumbled upon an incredibly quirky off-grid cafe serving the absolute best soup and cake of the trip. After soaking my battered feet and resting at home, I reflect on the entire journey, share my honest thoughts on how it compares to the West Highland Way, and express my gratitude to everyone who supported my channels.
Big thank you to Ultralight Outdoor Gear for supporting us in 2026 geni.us/UltralightOutdoorGear
I've started sharing my routes over on Hiiker. They've kindly given me a discount via my affiliate link
https://hiiker.app/paulmessner?via=paul and then you can download to my routes here https://hiiker.app/users/6h3F8tE4psSp4WtyBUP5MUy8Bo22/hikes and use the app to navigate you. I'll be uploading all my future hikes here.
My current backpacking setup for The Great Glen Way:
Trail Running Shoes geni.us/UOGtopovista
Tent durstongear.com/products/x-dome-1-plus-ultralight-backpacking-tent
Backpack geni.us/UOGHyperliteUnbound55
Stove geni.us/UOGJetboilTrailcook
Quilt geni.us/UOGVesperQuilt
Sleeping Pad geni.us/UOGNemoEclipse
Mini Inflator Pump geni.us/UOGgigapump
Sambob Hoodie geni.us/UOGSamboAlpha90
Outdoor Research Helium Waterproof Jacket geni.us/UOGORHeliumUL
Pillows geni.us/UOGNemoFillo & geni.us/UOGNemoFilloElite
Little sit pad geni.us/UOGLittleSitPad
Mug geni.us/UOGS2Smug
Water bottle geni.us/UOGThrubottle
Rab Down Jacket geni.us/UOGRabmythicjacket
Darn Tough socksgeni.us/UOGDarntoughsocks
First aid kit geni.us/UOGLifesystemsfirstaid
Little towel geni.us/UOGTowel
Wilderness Wash geni.us/UOGWildernesswash
Ikea storage bags ikea.com/gb/en/p/rensare-clothes-bag-set-of-3-check-pattern-grey-black-30432502
All my other gear messner.co.uk/gearlist
Multi-day Hikes Playlists
Cumbria Way youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbU28ZzUOa49lK5YCmgcZRT1Q3_cIjR4o
West Highland Way youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbU28ZzUOa49qFqV3d99ATSR6T6bAL92U
Peak District Multi Day Hikes youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbU28ZzUOa49WHWTNtRYD5r2nkiwdNUch
Cairngorms youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbU28ZzUOa48Wxn3MGLWl3PJyEyV89Q5_
Timestamps
00:00 - Early start and the big hill climb
03:15 - Spotting Urquhart Castle in the distance
06:16 - Breakfast on the trail and the first Nessie sighting
10:20 - Thoughts on Loch Ness and the fairy-tale woodlands
15:13 - Discovering the quirky Abriachan cafe
17:42 - Incredible off-grid soup and massive slices of cake
21:40 - Road walking with snowy mountain views
26:01 - Pushing through the pain of a 21-mile hike
30:42 - Reaching the finish line at Inverness Castle
31:30 - Final thoughts and gear reflections from home
34:43 - Great Glen Way vs. West Highland Way comparison
35:26 - Special thanks and future plans
patreon.com/paulmessner
Join our Patreon community for additional videos, community WhatsApp style chats and more. MASSIVE thanks to YOU. I couldn’t do this without your support.
messner.co.uk
WIN a FULL WILD CAMPING SETUP
DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.
Today I tackled the final and longest stretch of the Great Glen Way alongside Woody, pushing through a gruelling 21-mile day to finally reach the finish line in Inverness. Along the way, we experienced stunning woodland scenery, caught glimpses of Loch Ness, and stumbled upon an incredibly quirky off-grid cafe serving the absolute best soup and cake of the trip. After soaking my battered feet and resting at home, I reflect on the entire journey, share my honest thoughts on how it compares to the West Highland Way, and express my gratitude to everyone who supported my channels.
Big thank you to Ultralight Outdoor Gear for supporting us in 2026 geni.us/UltralightOutdoorGear
I've started sharing my routes over on Hiiker. They've kindly given me a discount via my affiliate link
https://hiiker.app/paulmessner?via=paul and then you can download to my routes here https://hiiker.app/users/6h3F8tE4psSp4WtyBUP5MUy8Bo22/hikes and use the app to navigate you. I'll be uploading all my future hikes here.
My current backpacking setup for The Great Glen Way:
Trail Running Shoes geni.us/UOGtopovista
Tent durstongear.com/products/x-dome-1-plus-ultralight-backpacking-tent
Backpack geni.us/UOGHyperliteUnbound55
Stove geni.us/UOGJetboilTrailcook
Quilt geni.us/UOGVesperQuilt
Sleeping Pad geni.us/UOGNemoEclipse
Mini Inflator Pump geni.us/UOGgigapump
Sambob Hoodie geni.us/UOGSamboAlpha90
Outdoor Research Helium Waterproof Jacket geni.us/UOGORHeliumUL
Pillows geni.us/UOGNemoFillo & geni.us/UOGNemoFilloElite
Little sit pad geni.us/UOGLittleSitPad
Mug geni.us/UOGS2Smug
Water bottle geni.us/UOGThrubottle
Rab Down Jacket geni.us/UOGRabmythicjacket
Darn Tough socksgeni.us/UOGDarntoughsocks
First aid kit geni.us/UOGLifesystemsfirstaid
Little towel geni.us/UOGTowel
Wilderness Wash geni.us/UOGWildernesswash
Ikea storage bags ikea.com/gb/en/p/rensare-clothes-bag-set-of-3-check-pattern-grey-black-30432502
All my other gear messner.co.uk/gearlist
Multi-day Hikes Playlists
Cumbria Way youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbU28ZzUOa49lK5YCmgcZRT1Q3_cIjR4o
West Highland Way youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbU28ZzUOa49qFqV3d99ATSR6T6bAL92U
Peak District Multi Day Hikes youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbU28ZzUOa49WHWTNtRYD5r2nkiwdNUch
Cairngorms youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbU28ZzUOa48Wxn3MGLWl3PJyEyV89Q5_
Timestamps
00:00 - Early start and the big hill climb
03:15 - Spotting Urquhart Castle in the distance
06:16 - Breakfast on the trail and the first Nessie sighting
10:20 - Thoughts on Loch Ness and the fairy-tale woodlands
15:13 - Discovering the quirky Abriachan cafe
17:42 - Incredible off-grid soup and massive slices of cake
21:40 - Road walking with snowy mountain views
26:01 - Pushing through the pain of a 21-mile hike
30:42 - Reaching the finish line at Inverness Castle
31:30 - Final thoughts and gear reflections from home
34:43 - Great Glen Way vs. West Highland Way comparison
35:26 - Special thanks and future plans
patreon.com/paulmessner
Join our Patreon community for additional videos, community WhatsApp style chats and more. MASSIVE thanks to YOU. I couldn’t do this without your support.
messner.co.uk
WIN a FULL WILD CAMPING SETUP
DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.
