The Great North Trail (Grampian Mountains) runs over 258 km in three stages through the Grampian Mountains, beginning at Bearsden and finishing at Fort Augustus. It covers a total ascent of 3,089 m over the course.
Stage 1 runs 101 km from Bearsden to Killin. The terrain steadily climbs with three main ascents: a 3.2 km climb at 4.2% average gradient reaching 187 m, a 4.6 km climb at 5% average reaching 251 m, and a shorter 2.3 km climb at 3.6% average up to 217 m. The highest point here is 294 m. There are 28 water or food stops on this stage, which is the longest of the tour.
Stage 2 covers just under 100 km from Killin to the trail’s end in the Grampian Mountains, with a climb total of 1,331 m. This stage includes five climbs, the largest reaching 488 m after 3.6 km at 8.1%. Other climbs include 3.4 km at 7.8%, and a longer 7.3 km climb at 3.8% average gradient reaching 546 m. The highest elevation for this stage is 547 m. Water and food stops are limited to 3 along this stage.
The final stage is 57.8 km from Roybridge to Fort Augustus with 789 m of climbing. It has three climbs: a short 1.7 km ascent at 4.8% average, followed by smaller ascents of 2.1 km and a longer 6.8 km climb averaging 6.3% with a max of 15.6%, reaching 765 m, the highest point on the whole tour. There are 14 water or food stops on this shorter final stage.
The tour is entirely within Great Britain, with no border crossings. No specific months or temperatures are noted, so conditions may vary. You will find ample water or food stops early on but fewer between Killin and the end of stage 2, so plan accordingly.
