Seven Day Guided Itinerary |
The West Highland Way runs from
the outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city to Fort
William at the base of Ben Nevis, its highest mountain. On the
way it passes through
a wide range of equally spectacular scenery from rural valleys
to isolated moors and spectacular mountain scenery.
Much of the way follows ancient drovers roads,
military roads and disused railway lines and like so much of
Scotland the countryside
is steeped in history and legend. On the eastern
banks of Bonnie Loch Lomond passes through Rob Roy Macgregor’s
stomping grounds and the desolate Rannoch moor is home to one too
many ghost stories for comfort.
Walking the West highland Way is quite honestly one of the defining
Scottish experiences and should not be missed. The walk is of a
medium to hard standard and you do need to be fit, be well equipped
and have good stamina to complete it comfortably. |
| Day 1: Glasgow
to Drymen, 12 miles, 6 - 7
hours |
We meet at 9:00 am
at Milngavie train station to sort out baggage transfer arrangements,
meet the crew
and get
the adventure started.
Today’s route runs through the ancient earldom of Lennox
between the Campsie fells and Blane water. A definite stop is the
Glengoyne Distillery, Scotland’s most beautiful, a distillery
tour (£3.95) and wee dram send us on our way for the afternoon.
Drymen is home to one of Scotland’s oldest pubs and our very
beautiful overnight stop. |
| Day 2: Drymen
to Rowardennan, 15 miles, 7 - 8
hours |
| As we leave Drymen we start to climb
towards Conic Hill, which sits astride the Great Divide that separates
the highlands
and lowlands of Scotland. It provides a fantastic view over Loch
Lomond, Britain’s largest body of fresh water covering 27sq.
miles. We descend towards Balmaha and then the path hugs the shoreline
through ancient Caledonian forest and emerges at Rowardennan, our
overnight stop. |
| Day 3: Rowardennan
to Inverarnan, 14 miles, 7 – 8.5
hours |
| Leaving Rowardennan the valley closes
in and we make our way through dense and atmospheric woodland,
passing Rob
Roy’s cave and spectacular waterfalls, which tumble down the
steep valley sides. This is one of the toughest but most rewarding
sections of the walk. The Drovers Inn provides the perfect location
for a well-deserved pint at the end of a tough day. |
| Day 4: Inverarnan
to Tyndrum, 13 miles, 6 – 7
hours |
| After leaving Loch Lomond the valley
opens up and we follow the attractive River Falloch for much of
the way to Crianlarich.
The second half of the day is a gentle walk through lovely forests
and rolling farmlands. We pass the final resting place of Robert
the Bruce’s sword on our way into Tyndrum, our overnight stop. |
Day 5:
Tyndrum to Kingshouse, 19 miles, 8 - 10 hours
|
| After a stunning morning of towering
mountain scenery we reach Bridge of Orchy, a tiny hamlet and our
lunch stop. Leaving
the comfort of the valley behind we climb up onto the wide expanse
of Rannoch Moor, a moody and exposed landscape. Our overnight stop
at Kingshouse Hotel provides great views of Buachaille Etive Mor,
Scotland’s most photographed mountain. |
| Day 6: Kingshouse
to Kinlochleven, 9 miles, 4 - 5 hours |
| From Kinghouse we follow an old military
road to Altnafeadh, which gives great views of the famous ‘weeping glen’ site of the Glencoe Massacre
in 1692. Then we zigzag up the Devil’s Staircase to the highpoint of
the Way at 548m, which gives stunning views towards Ben Nevis. From here we
wind our way down into the little town of Kinlochleven, the end to a great
day. |
| Day 7: Kinlochleven
to Fort William, 14miles, 7 - 8
hours |
| The final stage of the way passes through some very
remote country as it climbs steadily out of Kinlochleven. Another
climb through forestry brings us into Glen Nevis and the shadow of
Ben Nevis. After a final stretch through the beautiful Glen Nevis
you reach your destination of Fort William. The end of your Scottish
odyssey and time for a few beers before you check into your accommodation
for the night. |
| Day 8: Return to Glasgow or continue your Scottish
adventure into the highlands. |
| See our travel page for travel
details. More>> |
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