West Highland Way

West Highland Way (The South) - 6 Days & 5 Nights

6 Days & 5 Nights 4.8 Read 1320 reviews

Walk a section of Scotland's most famous long distance trail from Milngavie to Inverarnan
Enjoy camaraderie along the trail as you meet fellow walkers from around the world
Revel in the myriad of landscapes as you walk the "bonnie banks" of Loch Lomond
Explore the lush greenery of the Trossachs National Park
Visit to the renowned Drovers Inn for a well deserved dram at the end of your trip!

Discover the southern half of Scotland's most famous long distance trail - the West Highland Way. Explore the lush glens and rich woodlands of the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park as you follow the trail north from Milngavie to Inverarnan.

Towering mountains, tranquil lochs and rushing rivers combine to reward you with a unique and ever-changing landscape as you journey 47 miles from Milngavie (Glasgow) to Inverarnan (just under halfway to Fort William). Pass by whisky distilleries and the charming rural villages of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, with spectacular views over and alongside the bonnie waters. This really is Scottish highland scenery at its best.

As the largest operator on the West Highland Way (each year over 2500 people trust us to arrange their walk) we can secure you the best value and quality arrangements, regardless of whether you are walking solo or as a group of 20, and we’re happy to tailor-make a tour to fit your requirements. 99% of our walkers would recommend us to a friend, and you can read over 800 authentic and unbiased West Highland Way customer reviews. So give us a shout today to start planning your own West Highland Way adventure.

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What To Expect

Travel restrictions and resources, to and from any destination

This is a stunning long distance walk, showcasing some of the best scenery that Scotland has to offer including the 'Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond'. It can be tough going at times and includes some challenging terrain, but it's a great one for boasting about to friends!

Tour Type:

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Activity:

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travellers

As a guide, we would suggest that the minimum age of traveler this tour would be suitable for is: 12 Years

Ideal if you have an interest in:

Long-Distance Trails
National Parks
Accessible by Rail

Activity Level & Terrain

This holiday is graded moderate and includes daily walks of between 7 - 16 miles. Perfect for regular walkers, some days will be more challenging than others and the terrain will be varied with some rough and rugged footpaths. More ascent and descent involved so a good level of fitness will be required.

Navigation

The route is well waymarked and easy to follow. We supply a detailed map and guidebook so will easily find your way.

Experience & Fitness

This route is suitable for most regular walkers of average fitness. You should train by walking some daily walks of similar daily distances to your planned itinerary.

Accommodations

Our West Highland Way tours include overnight accommodation in a mixture of country inns, small hotels, guest houses and B&B’s. We have worked with many of our accommodation partners for over 10 years and have great relationships with them ensuring you receive the best attention from the moment you check in.

We carefully select your accommodation to ensure that you enjoy every minute of your stay and all offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and delicious local food.

We book en suite rooms as standard. If there are no en suite rooms available in an overnight location, we may book a room with shared facilities, but we will always inform you in advance if this was the case.

Accommodation Location

We will always try and accommodate you at the locations detailed in your itinerary. Occasionally, due to limited availability, there may be an option to be accommodated at an alternative location. In the unlikely event that we have to accommodate you elsewhere, we will advise you of this before confirming your booking. In this case you can change your trip dates or we can arrange taxi transfers to and from an alternative overnight accommodation (supplement payable)

The Kingshouse Hotel

During busy booking times a supplement may have to be paid when staying at the Kingshouse Hotel. Unfortunately, this cannot be avoided due to this hotel increasing their costs on certain dates of the year. If you do not want to stay at the Kingshouse, there would be no supplement to stay in Glencoe or Ballaculish which is our usual alternative.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

This holiday is available to solo walkers, although a supplement is payable. If you require single rooms within your party we would be happy to accommodate your request, although it is not generally possible to secure more than three single rooms in a party. A single room supplement is payable.

Meals

Breakfast is included each morning while lunch and dinner are not included so you are free to choose from the available options. Your accommodation may be able to provide a packed lunch on request and this can be booked on arrival. Alternatively, your guidebook includes details of local shops and convenient lunch stops on the way. Dinner is available either at your accommodation or nearby pubs and restaurants (your info pack has recommendations).

Additional Nights

You may wish to take some extra nights along the route, either to rest or for those with plenty of energy to explore some of the other walking opportunities nearby. We recommend extra nights at:

Glasgow - at the beginning of the trip to sample the city's foodie scene or simply to overnight and recover from travelling before starting the hike.
Rowardennan - for climbing Ben Lomond, a Munro with commanding views over Loch Lomond.
Crianlarich - a halfway stop with options for visiting the seaside town of Oban, complete with whisky distillery, via the local train service (1hr 15 mins each way).
Fort William - for climbing Ben Nevis (the UK's highest mountain).

Included

5 Nights in hand-picked B&B’s, small hotels & guesthouses
5 Breakfasts
Baggage transfer
Detailed information pack
Access to detailed maps & GPX tracks with our Macs Adventure smartphone navigation app
24/7 Emergency telephone support from our UK office

Excluded

Travel to Milngavie / from Fort William
Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage
Lunches, dinners, snacks & drinks
Personal equipment
Travel insurance (required)

Extras

Upgrade to hotel-standard accommodations every night
Extra nights along the route
Glasgow / Milngavie accommodation (pre-tour)

When To Go

The trip is available from the end of March to mid-October and while it does get very busy, we are always willing to try and get you booked in.

Weather and Climate

Scotland's climate is notoriously changeable! Expect some amounts of both sunshine and rain regardless of the time of year, so always pack both waterproofs and sunscreen. July and August are usually warmest with average temperatures around 14 degrees centigrate, and highs of up to mid-twenties. Some snow may remain or even fall on the higher parts of the route in March & April, and even beyond. May has the least rainfall on average, but you would still expect some wetter days, and each year can vary greatly.

Getting to the Start

By Air:

Glasgow Airport: Located 8 miles west of the city, the airport is served by numerous domestic and international airlines. A regular Citylink bus service operates between the airport and the city centre. Alternatively, you can also book taxis at a fixed rate from the airport to your accommodation in Glasgow, or to Glasgow Central train station Glasgow city centre, and there is also a service to/from Fort William.

Prestwick Airport: Located 30 miles south of Glasgow, Prestwick is primarily served by the budget airline Ryanair. A train service operates from Prestwick to Glasgow city centre, taking approx. 50 mins.

Edinburgh Airport: Located 45 miles east of Glasgow, Edinburgh Airport is served by numerous domestic and international airlines. A regular Citylink bus service operates between the airport and Glasgow's Buchanan Street Bus Station in the city centre (approx. 60 mins). Alternatively, you could take the tram towards Edinburgh city centre and connect with the train from Edinburgh Haymarket train station to Glasgow Queen Street station.

By Rail: Glasgow is well-served by rail from across the UK. Booking in advance secures the best fares. For information on all routes visit Scotrail or National Rail.

By Car: Glasgow is served by a motorway network. Long term parking is generally not available in the city centre, but parking (not secured) is available in Milngavie, at the start of the walk. A useful website for directions and parking is the RAC Route Planner.

By Bus: Services from UK destinations are operated by National Express. Services from Scottish destinations are operated by Scottish Citylink.

Getting to Milngavie from Glasgow

Milngavie is most easily accessed by train from Glasgow Queen Street train station on a regular Scotrail service taking approx. 25 mins.

Getting from the End

Return transfers from Inverarnan to Glasgow are NOT included in the price of your holiday. If you are returning to Glasgow we suggest the Citylink Bus (up to 8 daily/1.5 hours).

By Coach

Scottish Citylink operates up to 8 services daily to Glasgow and the journey takes about 1.5 hours.They also operate services north to Fort William, Inverness and Skye.

Web: www.citylink.co.uk

Luggage Transfer

Your bags will be collected from your accommodation each day and moved onto your overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg/44lbs per person. Please ensure that you do not bring more than one bag of 20kg as if this occurs, the luggage transfer company will ask you to pay an additional fee. Our luggage transfer company can store the extra bag for you whilst you are on the tour and will deliver it to your final accommodation for an additional cost. Extra luggage and bag storage costs can be made locally.

At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase. Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person. It is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.

General Information

The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.

How fit do I need to be?

How do the baggage transfers work?

How far in advance do I need to book?

What personal equipment do I need?

When is the best time of year?

What are the midges like?

Am I able to take my dog?

What happens if I can’t walk a stage?

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Milngavie Day 2 Milngavie to Drymen 12.5 miles / 19.5 km

After setting off from Milngavie, today’s route passes through the ancient earldom of Lennox between the Campsie Fells and Blane Water. You follow a series of good paths through beautiful rural scenery to the small village of Drymen. A recommended stop is the Glengoyne Distillery, where you can take a tour and enjoy a wee dram to send you on your way. Enroute to Drymen is the Beech Tree Inn, which has a lovely garden and serves great food.

Drymen is slightly off the route, so refer to your map to ensure that you don’t overshoot the mark.

Overnight Drymen

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Ashbank B&B | 3 Star | Bed and breakfast

Ashbank B&B is a family-run accommodation offering superior rooms in the heart of the village. Ashbank was once the home of the famous Olympian Eric Liddel whose story was depicted in the Oscar winning film Chariots of Fire.

Braeside | Bed and breakfast

Situated in the heart of Loch Lomond National Park, Braeside offers all that one would require for most comfortable lodging. With satellite TV, WiFi, tea / coffee making facilities and access to a fridge, these en suite rooms offer all you might need for a good night’s sleep. The hosts Colin and Scott will offer you an extremely warm welcome and are always on hand to assist.

Greenshadows | Bed and breakfast

Green Shadows is an exceptionally situated 4-star country house B&B that sits in the shadows of the ruins of Buchanan Castle just over a mile from the idyllic village of Drymen. All of their rooms feature stylishly designed en-suite or private adjoining facilities and all are equipped with flat screen colour televisions, and tea and coffee making facilities, hair dryers and ironing facilities. You'll also enjoy one of their hearty breakfasts in their very elegant dining area. The B&B also has free Wi-Fi available if you want to access the internet.

Day 3 Drymen to Balmaha 7 miles / 11 km Day 4 Balmaha to Rowardennan 7.5 miles / 12 km

This is a beautiful but deceptively tough section. The path alternates between the loch shore and natural forest and headlands on the banks of Loch Lomond. There are numerous short steep climbs, and if you have walked all the way from Drymen you will be very pleased to see Rowardennan. That said, the scenery, forest, and birdlife are outstanding.

Overnight Rowardennan

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Rowardennan Hotel | Hotel

Rowardennan Lodge Youth Hostel | Hostel

Rowardennan Lodge Youth Hostel sits in an idyllic location on the banks of Loch Lomond with its own jetty and panoramic views across the loch. The lodge offers a wide range of private rooms and comfortable shared dorms all with separate washroom facilities. Relax with a local craft beer or glass of wine in the hostel’s large and cosy lounge, while soaking up the spectacular view across the loch. Other facilities include a laundry and drying room. Basic provisions, confectionery and soft drinks are available to purchase at reception and WiFi is free for all guests.

Rowardennan Lodges | Lodge

Situated on the rugged Eastern Shore of Loch Lomond in the magnificent Queen Elizabeth Forest, the Rowardennan Hotel has breath-taking views of Ben Lomond, Loch Lomond Loch Lomond and the mountains to the North. The lodges are situated in the gardens adjoining the Hotel and within each you have all that you require to enjoy a comfortable stay. In the evening you can enjoy a wee dram in the Clansman bar, watching the glorious views from the marvellous beer garden, and enjoy quality hot food, also served in the bar, and made using local ingredients, and designed to give you a filling meal after a long days walk. Wifi available in hotel.

Day 5 Rowardennan to Inverarnan 14.5 miles / 23 km

Leaving Rowardennan, the West Highland Way follows forestry roads and gently climbs high up above Loch Lomond, giving fantastic views over the water and towards the peaks of the Arrochar Alps. As you close in on Inversnaid the path narrows and becomes more undulating, passing over a spectacular bridge and waterfall as you arrive at Inversnaid Hotel.

Departing Inversnaid you pass through the RSPB Inversnaid Nature Reserve and then close by to Rob Roy’s Cave. The path from Inversnaid to the head of the loch is hard going with numerous ups and downs and a generally rough surface. After leaving the lochside and passing Doune Bothy the path improves but it may seem a very long two miles from Ardleish to Inverarnan where the lovely Beinglas Farm marks the end of your day. Leave the way and follow the signs for Inverarnan. The 300-year old Drovers Inn is world-famous and provides the ideal location for your end-of-day refreshment.

If you are staying across the loch at Ardlui Hotel, then look out for the sign pointing to the little ferry (Around 2 miles before the end of this section). Walk down to the loch shore and call the ferry by raising the ball (you'll be returned to this same spot the following day).

Please ensure you check your tailored accommodation sheet for details of your overnight stay.

Overnight Inverarnan

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Ardlui Hotel | 3 Star | Hotel

The hotel was built as a private hunting lodge for the Colquhoun family around 1851. It was first opened as a hotel in 1886 and two years later the east wing was added, while the west wing was added by 1905. The hotel today is painted white due to the three different types of stone used to build the main building & each of the two wings.

This hotel is one of the friendliest and most intimate hotels in Loch Lomond. With 10 en-suite rooms they offer a relaxed accommodation with great views across the northern shores.

Beinglas Farm | Bed and breakfast

Beinglas Farm is situated directly on the West Highland Way at the stage of Inverarnan and is within easy walking distance of the village centre. Beinglas Farm has been awarded a three star grading from the Scottish Tourist Board.

The Drovers Inn | Country Inn, Lodge

The Drovers accommodation is, shall it be said, not based on your standard hotel bedroom. It reflects the tradition and history of the building and replicates the ambience of the downstairs areas but no two rooms are in any other way similar with a mixture of styles, décor and facilities and it is their intention for that your overnight stay should be an experience!

Day 6 Onward travel from Inverarnan