Inverlochy Castle & Neptune's Staircase loop from Fort William

Bike touring routes & trails

United Kingdom

Scotland

Highlands

Fort William, Inverlochy And Torlundy

Inverlochy Castle & Neptune's Staircase loop from Fort William

Easy

5.0

(2)

riders

Inverlochy Castle & Neptune's Staircase loop from Fort William

00:56

14.4km

40m

Cycling

Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: June 6, 2024

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

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1.28 km

River Lochy at Inverlochy

Highlight • River

A wee part of Fort William that backs onto the river (“Burn” in Scotland) between Loch Linnie & The Caledonian Canal. Interlocks also has a Bike shop if you need ”spares and repairs”. The path to the water is good gravel. Worth a wee detour.

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2.51 km

Inverlochy Castle Ruins

Highlight • Historical Site

Inverlochy Castle was founded in the 13th century on the site of an earlier fort. The castle, which played a part in Scottish and English history during the civil wars of the 1640s, was abandoned in 1654 in favour of a large timber fort built by Oliver Cromwell.

This new fort was then replaced by a stone fort called ‘Fort William’ and the town that grew around it went on to take the same name. The ruins are a fascinating place to explore and there are lots of information boards so you can learn about the history.

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8.22 km

Neptune's Staircase

Highlight • Structure

This is the start (or end) of the Caledonian Canal which links the lochs of the great Glen with locks, and also part of the Great Glen Way walking and cycling route.

The flight of eight locks raise the water level on the Caledonian Canal by 62 feet (19 m), and takes boats approximately 90 minutes to navigate this short stretch. This is the longest flight of locks in Great Britain.

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8.55 km

Caledonian Canal

Highlight • Monument

Connecting Inverness and Corpach, the Caledonian Canal stretches 60 miles (97 km) through some of Scottland's most stunning scenery through vast lochs like Loch Ness and magnificent glens. Only one-third of the canal is actually man-made as it flows through many lochs en route.

Built in 1822, the canal was used to transport goods until 2005. Today, it is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and attracts many visitors each year.

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