West Highland Escape

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.

Activity Level & Terrain

This holiday is graded moderate and includes daily walks of between 9 - 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. The way is on well maintained footpaths, bridleways, across fields, but in general follows General Wades Roads which were built to open up the highlands back in the 18th Century.  Ascents and descents are involved so a good level of fitness will be required.

Navigation

The West Highland Escape is clearly defined on the ground and the route is waymarked for easy walking. Though map reading and use of a compass is not totally necessary, it is always advantageous. We supply a detailed map and guidebook so you shouldn’t have any problem finding 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.

• 4 Nights in hand-picked B&B’s, small hotels & guesthouses
• 4 Breakfasts
• Baggage transfer
• We include an overnight in Fort William at the end of your trip as standard
• Transfers to your accommodation (if included as part of your itinerary)
• Information pack and access to maps & GPX tracks with the Macs Adventure smartphone navigation app
• 24/7 Emergency telephone support from our UK office

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

• Additional nights along the route
• Pre-tour accommodation in Glasgow / Milngavie

When To Go

This trip is available to book from the end of March to mid-October. At certain times of the year it does get very busy, but we will always try our best to get you confirmed on the date you wish to travel, although you may have to be flexible. 

Busy times in Kinlochleven are end of April, beginning of May. This is because the Pre-65 Scottish Motorbike Trials are held here during that time. There is also a busy time in Fort William at the end of April for a week until May 6th because of the Scottish 6-Days Trial Event. We have blocked start dates accordingly due to these events if availability it not possible during these times and on any particular dates. Please try to avoid booking around this time to avoid disappointment.

Also 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.

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

There are four trains a day departing from Glasgow that stop at Bridge of Orchy. You can find details at Scotrail.co.uk

There are also 4 buses that stop at Bridge of Orchy and you can find details of them on Citylink.co.uk Both journeys take around 2 hours and pass through amazing scenery on the way. .

Getting from the End

Return transfers from Fort William 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 departures daily, approx. 3 hours) or Scotrail train (one of the UK's most spectacular journeys, 2-3 departures daily, approx. 4 hours, also available for continued journey to Edinburgh).

Trains and buses also operate north to Inverness and Skye; a great website for public transport planning within Scotland is Traveline Scotland, or give us a shout to discuss extending your stay further. 

Transfers

We are able to offer transfer arrangements at attractive prices, for your convenience. Just give us a call to talk through your plans.

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.