The West Highland Way is a iconic trails that passed though some of the most scenic areas of Scotland. Starting in Milngavie, it covers 96 miles (154 km) of paths before reaching the end point in Fort William.
History of the West Highland Way
Since its conception in 1980 as Scotlands first official Long Distance Route it has attracted hikers from across the globe. It has also become a blueprint for how other long distance routes across the UK have been implemented in a way that focus on improving local tourism and environmental conservation.
In 2010 it was the first European addition to the International Appalachian Trail. A network of routes in Europe that are considered to originate from the same geological occurrences in creating the mountains, when continents were still adjoined and our world was forming.
History along the West Highland Way
The route travels down ancient roads and through villages steeped in history. With ruins of crofts along the route and passing through clan territories. There are roads built with military purposes and you’ll also be following path of trade routes vital to local areas over the centuries.
There is also some small detours that can taken along the way to discover geological landmarks and ancient castles.
The full route
Wooded trails near Milngavie and Drymen
The shores and forests around Loch Lomond
Remote and exposed moorland like Rannoch Moor.
Rugged mountain passes, such as the Devil’s Staircase
Open glens and dramatic Highland peaks, especially near Fort William
Do you have to do Ben Nevis at the end of the West Highland Way?
There is no rule that says you need to take on the highest mountain in the UK at the end of the trail. My take on this is going to be very weather dependent. Since I’ve taken on this summit a few times in the past in various conditions I would only retrace the path up if the weather is good at the end.
For many though it is a right of passage upon completion of the trail, and for those who have travelled from further afield, I understand the want to complete it at the end. Ben Nevis, like all mountains, needs to be respected though. Even though technically the path is pretty simple, high winds, strong rain, low visibility and a snowy summit can all make the climb a little more treacherous. The mountain is going nowhere and gives a good excuse for a return trip to Scotland.
Itineraries
With the freedoms of Scotland Outdoor Access code you have loads of options to take on the WHW. The most popular is the 7 day approach. This works for those both wanting to camp along the route or use hotels and hostels along the way. It also offers an average of 15miles making it manageable for various fitness levels.
You can also take on the route over 6, 5, 4 or even 3 days but they will be much bigger. The tables below show some of the suggested days to complete to the trail.
A basic level of fitness is needed to take on the WHW although a big spoonful of determination will elevate your capabilities. Sharing the route with others also helps, knowing that they are taking on the same challenge and having a bit of support along the way.
The route never ventures too far from the A82 apart from the Loch Lomond section, which means if you need it you can get more help.
If you need mountain rescue dial 999 or 112 and ask for Police Scotland, then request Mountain Rescue.
7 day West Highland Way itinerary
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 |
| Milngavie to Dryman | Drymen to Rowardennan | Rowardennan to Inverarnan | Inverarnan to Tyndrum | Tyndrum to Inveroran | Inveroran to Kinlochleven | Kinlochleven to Fort William |
| 12 miles | 15 miles | 14 miles | 12 miles | 9 miles | 19 miles | 15 miles |
6 day West Highland Way itinerary
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 |
| Milngavie to Balmaha | Balmaha to Inversnaid | Inversnaid to Crianlarich | Crianlarich to Inveroran | Inveroran to Kinlochleven | Kinlochleven to Fort William |
| 20 miles | 14 miles | 13 miles | 15 miles | 19 miles | 15 miles |
5 day West Highland Way itinerary
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 |
| Milngavie to Balmaha | Balmaha to Inverarnan | Inverarnan to Bridge of Orchy | Bridge of Orchy to Kinlochleven | Kinlochleven to Fort William |
| 20 miles | 21 miles | 19 miles | 21 miles | 15 miles |
Shorter trips on the West Highland Way
If you’re looking for something which is much more of a challenge the hike can be taken on over four, three or even just two days so below you can see how I would consider this. It involves much longer days of hiking.
4 day West Highland Way itinerary
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 |
| Milngavie to Sallochy | Sallochy Bay to Tyndrum | Tyndrum to Kinlochleven | Kinlochleven to Fort William |
| 24 miles | 29 miles | 28 miles | 15 miles |
3 day West Highland Way itinerary
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
| Milngavie to Inversnaid | Inversnaid to Inveroran | Inveroran to Fort William |
| 34 miles | 28 miles | 34 miles |
My West Highland Way 7 day itinerary
I did mine a little differently, with the longer days in the middle and getting shorter nearer to the end. It worked well for me and meant me legs still had something left in them at the end of the hike.
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 |
| Milngavie to Dryman | Drymen to Sallochy Bay | Sallochy Bay to Beinglas | Beinglas to Bridge of Orchy | Bridge of Orchy to Glencoe | Glencoe to Kinlochleven | Kinlochleven to Fort William |
| 11 miles | 13 miles | 17 miles | 19 miles | 11 miles | 11 miles | 15 miles |
Since I’ve returned and I want to try it again with different day lengths. I’m also considering a sort of extended challenge which includes longer days on the West Highland Way with detours or rest days (ha) to take on summits along the trail.
What gear do you need for the West Highland Way?
Test everything before you leave!
The last thing you need is to find that something doesn’t work as expected when you’re already on the trail. Put that tent up in your garden, or even better get out for a long walk carrying your gear just to test set up the tent and take it down again.
There are basic that you need if you plan to camp along the trail and each of us have our own preferences to what we carry but there are some basic areas to consider.
Shelter
A tent, well obviously, but this needs to be a tent you are willing to carry for a lot of miles. You don’t need to break the bank when looking or a tent but as lightweight as possible will be your friend. I use the Alpkit Tarpstar on my multiway adventures, for other lightweight lower cost tents consider the Forclas (Now Simond) MT900 ranges and also OEX have some pretty good options at reasonable prices. There is also nothing to say you need to buy new, you can grab some second hand bargains online but this is something you do need to watch for. They may require maintenance such as re-waterproofing although this is not a task that I have completed yet on any of my tents so I cannot attest to the pitfalls.
Sleep setup
Sleeping mat
A comfy night sleep is going to highly effect your experience along the trail. A good sleeping mat is needed, insulating yourself from the floor is going to be key at staying warm over night.
Many like to use both an inflatable and a insulated foam lower level. This isn’t for me but I can understand the want. If I ever require extra insulation below my inflatable mat I employ an emergency foil blanket (I always carry a couple) wrapping the mat, sleeping bag and myself inside. The full burrito experience is only really required on extremely cold night though.
Sleeping bag
Lightweight, warm, compact and cheap. A difficult set of rules to keep, this is Scotland so even in the summer months a 2-3 season sleeping bag will be welcomed, you can always carry liners which will extend the comfort rating. If you do experience a hot night in Scotland you could always find comfort with just the liner.
Cooking gear & food
You could possible get away without a cooker, many popular day end points have some pub or hotel which serves food nearby so you could just get away with carrying your snacks. An experience with a visit from a mouse overnight at one campsite, it chewed through a side pocket on my backpack to get to my sweets, made me reconsider how I treated any open food packets. In the future I will carry a sealed plastic tub to carry all my food, I’m currently looking for something that also functions as a plate for camp meals.
You may want the ease of making your own coffee every morning, so a light weight stove, a mug and and pot should suffice. I am currently working on a post that goes into details of different camp cooking options and where I use them and why so watch this space for that post.
Toiletries
Most of the campsites along the route have pretty good facilities, most nights you will be able to grab a warm shower. Although a bulky towel might take up a lot of space and drying it out might not always be easy and a wet towel is a heavy towel.
You will have things that you can’t do without but for me I care less about that, I’m going to stink living in a tent and hiking every day for a week. With all the sugar I eat along the way I take a good dental care kit, and there are a few other items I include. You can see my full wild camp toiletries kit here.
Survival and first aid
A small first aid kit is always a good idea to have but along this route you’ll want to make sure it has some key items such as; blister patches, plasters, tic tweezers, bug spray (in the summer months the Scottish bugs are everywhere, you’ll experience swarms of midges at dawn and dusk unless the wind and rain can keep them at bay)
The survival kit can be as big as you want but some things I always carry are; a paper map and compass, torch/headlight (and spare batteries), foil blanket, lighter, duct tape (small roll), superglue, paracord (can replace guide ropes or shoelaces), tissues and energy gel.
Clothing
I tend not to carry a lot of clothes along the way, as I mentioned before I’m unlikely to win any prizes for a pleasant aroma whilst out on long distance trails.
I carry clothes for hiking in and clothes for camping in, along with a couple of spare T-shirts which I’ll switch along the way.
Quite a few of the campsite had some sort of laundry along the way, and you can choose to hand wash clothes in the lochs and streams along the way. Since a lot of my clothes can not be tumble dried it puts laundry facilities out of reach and hand washing and drying can be difficult. I would rather put on a stinky shirt than a damp one.
You do have to be prepared for any weather though, at any time of year the forecast can change drastically across seven days. I combat this by having a full set of winter hiking clothes. The base layer is added to a pair of soft shorts and make up my camping night clothes. I also carry a light fleece (its a very good, lower end Rab one) and the all important waterproof jacket. If it does get cold I can protect my core with five layers of insulation.
What footwear will you need for the West Highland Way?
Something comfy. Everyone will have their preferences when it comes to footwear for long distance trails. With the majority of this trail having a well paved path, you can get away without boots though, although something with a very grippy sole is vital in the wet on the rockier sections.
On long distance hikes I will always go for trail runners paired with waterproof socks. My favourite brand which may seem odd to many, they get mistaken for road running trainers often, but Nike’s trail runners have excellent grip with All Terrain Compound, are comfortable for long days, the non goretexp versions dry out and quickly and they are Nike so they look good!
I took on the West Highland Way in Nike Pegasus Trail 5s, keep an eye out for the full review and comparison with Nike WildHorse 7 Trails Runners.
This wasn’t my first long distance hike, and I have done previous expeditions in boots. I blistered quite badly on those though, mostly because my boots got wet and thanks to the leather and gortex they never really dried out. Wet feet, wet boots and wet socks don’t make a good match or a pleasant day on the trails.
It’s also worth noting that any footwear should be broken in before you set off. There are levels for this, boots will need more wearing in than most trail runner. If you find sore spots, you can also take advantage and preemptively protecting areas of your foot wear you think you may blister.
Other Considerations
Getting to the start of the West Highland Way
The start in Milngavie is located very close to the train station so public transport is a very popular option.
Remember though this is British public transport owned by a selection of different private companies. Our trains are not best known for running on perfect time. I have a rule of thumb for a twenty to thirty minute buffer between changes whenever possible. Yes, you may have to wait around at most stations but it does make it considerably less likely that you miss you connections.
You can also drive to the start point, The West Highland Way Hotel would make to best start, it is four miles into the trail, however you can stay for the first night from £20 (including breakfast) and pay for long stay parking. You can then return by train, with a change you can get back from Fort William to Milngavie and take on those first four miles at the end.
Accommodation on the West Highland Way
You have plenty of options for the nightly stays along the route. You can do it completely campsite to campsite. Thanks to Scotland Outdoor Access Code you can wild camp at many locations along the route. Thanks to the Mountain Bothie Association there are a few brick buildings accessible along to route when a tent just won’t hide you from the elements. Remember to treat these with care though, they may have taken a beating but some of the furniture has sat there for centuries. We should be very grateful of the volunteers who maintain these locations to help us hikers out.
You also have the options of glamping with daily endpoints having options of lodges and pods. There is a good number of hostels along the way too and hotels. Although if you are looking at the hotel route be prepared for this to be costly, and defiantly book early as even at over £200 a night these places quickly fill up.
Weather
It can vary drastically, at any time of the year. With various trips to Scotland I have encountered nights in the minuses in May and 20 degree plus days in April. The weather in England can be having a record breaking heatwave. Whilst north of the borders it can be wet cold and windy.
The weather in spring and autumn is probably most predictable, you are unlikely to hit extreme heat and almost guaranteed some wet, which can make it easier to prepare. These seasons also have a much lower population of midges which can drastically alter your enjoyment of the experience. Myself I can deal with them, although gnats, mosquitoes and horseflies are something I deal with at home anyway although to a mush lesser extent.
It unlikely that in July and August you will encounter freezing temperatures. Although if you wild camp on higher ground you may still have some pretty cold nights. The bugs will be out in full force though, so that is something to bare in mind, making camp earlier in the evening will be helpful to have less encounters with these little winged nuisances.
Day light hours
For June, July and August you will encounter daylight from 4am to 10pm, or at least the ending hours of civil twilight, the dusk and dawn which offers light to hike to (I find the differing time zones of night really interesting, sue me).
When taking on the West Highland Way in spring or autumn you will have considerably less time although to itineraries above are mostly all achievable with with even the shortest of days. With some obvious exceptions for ones that include 20 mile plus days.
Luggage transfers
You don’t have to carry all your gear all the way. There are a few companies that run the service of delivering your overnight gear to either campsites, hotels and hostels along the way. This means that you only need to carry a day pack, a great option if you need to take the trail easier over seven days or if you wanted to take on a quicker route longer days will be easier with the much lighter weight.
I liked the challenge of carrying all my gear with me, but this is a very good option for those who are put of multiway hiking with the though of carrying all the weight. You could even mix and match, maybe you want to have some extravagance at certain campsite with chairs and a tarp, or even bbq (campsite permitting). For this you could use the service for whilst you still carry a wild camp load out.
One thing I did do along the way was post used good home. What do I mean, well by day three I had a dead power bank ( I carried a few, they are heavy) so I decided to send this home along with some dirty clothes. I made sure that this could fit in a post box though (one can be found on route at the Bridge of Orchy station) which meant I was not carrying dead weight with me.
Food and drink
There are plenty of places to eat and drink along the way, although remember that civilisation in this part of the country do have miles that separate them. Something that feels much long when travelling on foot and in poor weather conditions.
Many places are also quite pricey, the pub meals are not so bad, maybe even on the cheaper side in comparison to other country pubs. Shops though, they are a slightly different story. Some are quite up there with very few other options. There is a store in Tyndrum and a very welcomed Coop in Kinlochleven . You can also load up on snack at honesty boxes, however these are most present on the early sections of the trail.
My 7 day West Highland Way adventure
I took on the route at the end of June in 2025, using a seven day itinerary which allowed me to take in some amazing views but also include some days that felt physically challenging. Also the shorter days meant I had plenty of time to relax, rewind and refuel in the evenings.
You can learn all about my adventure taking on the West Highland Way on the links below.
- Day 1 Milngavie to Drymen (Post coming soon)
- Day 2 Drymen to Sallochy Bay (Post coming soon)
- Day 3 Sallochy to Beinglas (Post coming soon)
- Day 4 Beinglas to Bridge of Orchy (Post coming soon)
- Day 5 B of Orchy to Glencoe Mountain Resort (Post coming soon)
- Day 6 GMR to Kinlochleven (Post coming soon)
- Day 7 Kinlochleven to Fort William (Post coming soon)