The West Highland Way

Once you have reached Milngavie, the signs are easy to follow to the official starts of the WHW. The first miles will most likely be packed with fellow hikers, hence the recommendation to start rather early. It will take roughly an hour for you to leave civilization behind and eventually reach the first fields. It will be a rather easy day, comparably flat, taking you through tiny little villages until you reach Drymen.

If you arrive early enough, you can treat yourself by going to a local pub. The town also has a small shop. Don’t hesitate to ask the locals for recommendations as per where to pitch the tent. For ourselves, we found the perfect site under the pine while carrying on a couple miles after leaving Drymen behind. They provide a relative shelter from the rain as well as a comfortable cushion for sore backs.

Wake up with the sun, enjoy your first breakfast in nature and after packing up, keep crossing the forest. If you are lcuky as we were, you might spot deers and their likes.

You will then reach moor land, populated with lots of sheeps. A short climb will get you to the top of Conic Hill, where sits the best panorama over Loch Lomond. From there, it will take you about 30 minutes to reach the port, where you will find a café offering breakfast options. From there on, you will stay on the lake most of the next 2 days. 5km later, a small beach can present a nice sitting for lunch, a nap and a short bath should the weather allow.

About another 5km later you will see a pub on your left hand side. It was so sunny that day, and their garden so welcoming that we paused there for a while. But you can decide to directly push to the youth hostel 15 minutes further, and set camp on the lake. For a small fee you will be allowed to pitch the tent in the forest, enjoy a shower, amenities, and eat breakfast the next morning!

The day will start with a walk in the forest after a short climb in the trees. I believe there is a path by the lake but we hoped for a better view uphill. Not to worry, you will reach the shores soon enough and follow them for a while. We met quite a number of peaceful local goats (?) on the path. When you will have walked a total of 11km, and right after crossing a bridge over an imposing waterfall, you will reach a lodge. The amenities comprise a room for hikers to charge their phone and shelter for an unforgiving weather.

But as famously known, said weather is unforeseeable and constantly changing. Therefore, you might be able to set temporary camp at a beach 4-5km further down the road, where we stayed about an hour for lunch, “laundry”, and a nap in the sun.

A camping site will present itself once you have completed the remaining 7km, in a very highland-like landscape. The site offers a small shop for hikers groceries too. We found a spot about 5 minutes out from the camping site, by the river. It was obviously rather humid and can be the “perfect” midges nest, so be prepared.

You will very soon reach beautiful landscapes, possibly still covered with a mystical morning fog… but neighbouring a highway. Luckily, you will eventually leave it behind as you climb uphill to probably the best 2 hours of walking we had so far. At the end of this small valley, you will have the opportunity to take a right and divert from the path, to reach a small village. There is indeed a grocery shop but do not count too much on the pub or café, opening hours were not reliable.

After reaching the official path again, you might feel you actually are in Switzerland, as you wander amongst pine trees, green fields and cosy cottages. The end of the stage is a strange little town, apparently famous for bikers. A bigger shop and a couple of diners and guesthouses will provide you with the opportunity for warm food.

You also won’t have to walk too long to find a nice camping site - with a view!

We woke up under a light rain and walked for about 10 km amongst the peaks, crossing farms and peat fields. The beginning is comparaby flat and easy to walk. You will have to climb a peak before going down to Inveroran where you will find a small shop and a nice little pub for a well deserved break.

Once back on the tracks, a gentle climb will bring you to amazing moorland, far from eveything. There are plenty of spots where to pitch your tent but we settled for one amongst the trees in the forest and just by a small river (perfect for a bit of laundry and get fresh water), a few kilometers before Kinghouse. The night was cold, even in May, so again a warning to carry appropriate gear.

In the morning, we got confirmation it could snow at higher altitudes even in May, as we noticed the surrounding peaks had turned white during the night! Not to worry, a one-hour walk will take you to Kinghouse where a lodge will permit to warm-up and get a nice breakfast should you feel like it. It’s location also makes it the perfect opportunity to meet locals or fellow hikers!

Soon after we left, the strongest storm so far allowed us to confirm our ger was waterproof. But the next 4-5 km allowed us to dry a bit, before tackling the big daily climb. Its top will present you with a 360° panoramic view as well as a nice lunch spot, should the weather be kind.

Then will begin a long walk down to Kinglochleven. We did not meet too many pitch-worthy spots and therefore settled for the local camping site. A hot shower, meal and drinks in the pub are also factors that played in the decision process.

The camping sites are usually well populated with hikers, and we can only recommend to start early if you want to avoid te crowd. You won’t have much time to stretch your legs as the stage starts with a steep and lengthy climb to the plateau.

From there, it is a nice stroll between two mountain chains, far from civilization (probably 15km), before you will go down and up one last time, crossing forests and cattle. The last part takes you down to Fort William, with the possibility to divert last minute and reach the official camping site at the foot of the Ben Nevis (highest mountain in Scotland). Arriving early will allow you to pick a spot in the shade of the trees, keep this in mind ;-) !

The weather did not allow us to, but you can stay one more day a the camping site (or start very early) and climb the local pride as a nice way to end your trip !