East Lodge is an ideal centre from which to explore the varied and beautiful scenery of the West Highlands.

We are within easy reach of two main towns: Fort William, the capital of Lochaber and the Outdoor Capital of the UK - is 15 miles from here, and Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, is 50 miles away along the Great Glen.

We are situated in the heart of the Great Glen - a geological fault which cuts through Scotland from Inverness in the north to Oban in the south - and alongside Loch Lochy - one of the lochs which were joined in the nineteenth century by the Caledonian Canal. Yachts, cruise ships and fishing boats use the canal to get from the North Sea to the Atlantic, and you'll see them passing through the canal locks nearby at Fort Augustus or on Neptune's Staircase at Banavie.

We're well-placed too as a centre for any type of touring holiday, by car or on foot.

Walking
Many of our guests find few highland walks can beat an hour or two spent exploring our grounds, right here at East Lodge. From our well-kept gardens, you can wander at will through the woods and down to the shores of Loch Lochy.
For those wishing to explore more widely, we can provide information on a range of interesting walks of varying distance and degrees of challenge over a wide area of the west highlands. And we can usually arrange transport to starting points if you need it.
For the long-distance walker, the Great Glen Way linking Fort William and Inverness by way of Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and Loch Ness, passes close by East Lodge on the other side of Loch Lochy. At Fort William, the Great Glen Way links to the West Highland Way which leads from the shadow of Ben Nevis via Glen Coe, Rannoch Moor and Loch Lomond down to the outskirts of Glasgow.

Outdoor Activities
Climb a Munro! We estimate that about 30 of Scotland's highest hills and Bens (the Munros are those exceeding 3000 feet or 914 metres) lie within twenty miles of here, and many of our guests take the opportunity to "bag" a few during their stay. The closest are Meall na Teanga (3008ft) and Sron a'Choire Ghairbh (3068ft) , which rise out of Loch Lochy across from East Lodge.
Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain, is just one of many peaks popular with both walkers and climbers.
Glencoe is about an hour's drive away, and is a popular destination for our guests.
Nevis Range: about ten miles from here on the slopes of Aonach Mor beside Ben Nevis, the Nevis Range caters for skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking and walking. A gondola will carry you to the top station (655m), where there is a restaurant/ bar and gift shops. From there walks are signposted, and ski lifts will take you further up the mountain.
The Ice Factor at Kinlochleven, near Glencoe, is the UK's newest indoor mountain activity centre. As well as being the biggest indoor ice climbing facility in the world, it features the UK's largest articulated rock climbing wall and a competition-standard bouldering hall.

Motoring
Short Drives: From East Lodge the A82 runs along the side of Loch Lochy to Laggan locks and on via Loch Oich to Fort Augustus, a pleasant and convenient destination, with pubs, shops and restaurants. 
Alternatively, going south along the A82 leads to the Commando Memorial, whence you can opt for Spean Bridge and Fort William, or to meet the Caledonian Canal at Gairlochy, with its picturesque locks and basin. From there, the Clan Cameron Museum at Achnacarry is but a short way, and a little further will lead you to quiet and lovely Loch Arkaig or the Cia-Aig waterfall.
A little further: Fort William is about 30 minutes away, and Inverness no more than an hour. From Fort William, take the "Road to the Isles" via the Jacobite Memorial and the Harry Potter viaduct at Glenfinnan to the west coast villages of Arisaig, Morar and Mallaig.
A round trip to Inverness along both sides of Loch Ness, passing Urquhart Castle and the Falls of Foyers, and climbing into the Monadhliath Hills would make for a pleasant and not too strenuous outing.
Long, lazy summer days out: Day trips can take you to Skye, Ullapool, or Plockton and Lochcarron to the north west; Oban via GlenCoe, Rannoch Moor and Loch Etive to the south; Morvern, Ardnamurchan Point or the isle of Mull, to the south west; Dornoch or Cromarty to the north east