Trip created by Stevie Christie
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Region: Multi-Location
Trip Type: Wilderness Walking
Comfort: Classic
Confirmed: When 2 Traveller(s) Book
Deposit From £250.00
£423.75
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All you need to know about your trip, this essential document is a must for all adventures.
Download ItineraryThe West Highland Way is one of the World’s best walks, it’s a classic long-distance trek, covering over 95 miles (152km) from Milngavie on the outskirts of Glasgow to Fort William in the Highlands.
The magic of walking in Scotland can be distilled into this walk. It’s the sense of challenge, purpose and camaraderie that envelope this love letter to long-distance hiking. Joining a West Highland Way guided walking holiday allows you to fully appreciate the stunning scenery, learn about the area’s history and legends, as well as identifying the flora and fauna along the route.
The route travels along the ‘bonnie banks’ of Loch Lomond, across the atmospheric Rannoch Moor, past dramatic Glencoe and over the high pass of the Devil’s Staircase before finishing in Fort William, at the foot of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Each evening you’ll arrive at our hand-picked accommodation where your luggage will be waiting for you, allowing you to travel light. All you’ll need to think about on this classic trek is putting one foot in front of the other and immersing yourself in the spectacular scenery of one of the world’s greatest long-distance treks. You can do it faster but we prefer to slow things down and appreciate the West Highland Way over 7 days.
The maximum group size for this hike is 16. If there are more than 10 then there will be two guides.
Today you’ll meet your guide at Glasgow Queen Street Station at 8:30am. We’ll take a short train journey to Milngavie, where we’ll drop off our bags, and then we start our West Highland Way tour! Although starting close to Glasgow, you are quickly walking through open countryside. This part of the journey follows what was an important route in pre-industrial times and your guide will help you spot some standing stones from the late Stone Age. We’ll arrive at the accommodation tonight in time to settle in before enjoying a welcome dinner – and possibly a dram of the local Glengoyne whisky too. (L, D)
Walk details: 19 km/ 12 miles | approx. 6 hours | 210m/690ft ascent
The trail leaves Drymen and passes through Garadhban Forest. Leaving the forest, we’ll take a detour to climb Conic Hill. Though just 361m high, it offers fantastic views over Loch Lomond. Reaching the eastern banks of Loch Lomond at Balmaha, we follow the shore through forest until you reach the tranquil setting of Rowardennan, which is nestled at the foot of Ben Lomond. (B, L, D)
Walk details: 21km/ 13 miles | approx. 6 hours | 430m/1,410ft ascent
Starting out with views of Ben Lomond – which translates as Beacon Hill – this is a challenging stage but the combination of differing terrain, scenery and views make it very rewarding. Rougher terrain means that the going is slower but it’s wonderful to be in such wild country. The trail improves towards the end of the day as we near our next destination, the tiny settlement of Invernarnan. (B, L, D)
Walk details: 23km/ 14 miles | approx. 7 hours | 475m/1,560ft ascent
We’re in the Highlands now, and our day begins with a walk through Glen Falloch before we turn northwards into Strath Fillan. The landscape gets wilder and your guide will point out some of the hardier plants that grow in this area and talk about how they were used by the clansmen and women in the past. As we approach Tyndrum, we are rewarded with wonderful views of Ben Lui rising up in the west as we reach our accommodation. Tonight is a free night, so you can choose where you would like to have dinner. (B, L)
Walk details: 22km/ 13 miles | approx. 7 hours | 475m/1,560ft ascent
This fantastic day begins with a climb out of Tyndrum, with the trail running next to the West Highland Railway line. At the top of a pass, the sweeping flanks of Ben Dorain dominate the view. A short detour will take us to a carved stone seat said to contain the sword of Robert the Bruce. Continuing north, we reach the tiny settlement of Bridge of Orchy and then Inveroran, which makes a good lunch stop. The shapely peaks of the Black Mount now lie to the west while the wilds of Rannoch Moor stretches into the distance in front of you. Following the trail across this wild moor, we eventually reach Glencoe and our accommodation. Reward yourself with a drink from the bar, while enjoying the amazing views of Buachaille Etive Mor. (B, L, D)
Walk details: 30km/ 19 miles | approx. 9 hours | 644m/2,110ft ascent
This is a shorter day but with the biggest ascent of the route. Leaving the Kingshouse, we walk into Glencoe then climb the trail known as the ‘Devil’s Staircase’. It is steep with some switchbacks but very steady going with a constant gradient all the way. At the top of the pass at 547m, we are rewarded with wonderful views of Glencoe and Loch Leven. Your guide will able to point out the individual peaks in this sea of mountains you are looking at and perhaps tell the tale of The Massacre of Glencoe. Descending into the next valley, we follow a good trail to our next stop, the small village of Kinlochleven. (B, L, D)
Walk details: 14km/ 9 miles | approx. 5-6 hours | 430m/1,410ft ascent
The day starts with a steep climb to wake us up after breakfast! We cross a pass at 274m, taking in views across to Ben Nevis – the highest mountain in Scotland. After crossing the pass, the hard work of the day is done and we walk past old sheilings (summer dwellings for shepherds) with views over Lochan Lunn Da-Bhr. Your guide may share the story of the mythical bull that makes this area home and terrorises the crofter’s cattle! The trail then descends into beautiful Glen Nevis and then into Fort William itself where we finally reach the finish of the West Highland Way hiking tour – we’ve done it! After checking into our accommodation and freshening up, we’ll celebrate with drinks and dinner. (B, L, D)
Walk details: 22km/ 13 miles | approx. 7 hours | 475m/1,560ft ascent
This morning you are free to depart the guest house whenever you like – most people will take the scenic West Highland Railway back to Glasgow, which has several departures daily. On the way back to Glasgow you can look out for some familiar sights and reflect on a truly fantastic adventure. (B)
To download a PDF copy of our Trip Itinerary, containing full details about this holiday, please complete the form below:
ACCOMMODATION
This is a point to point itinerary where we walk to a new accommodation each day. The accommodation on this trip is graded as Classic and we handpick the best available accommodation along the route, which ranges from small guesthouses, Highland inns, small hotels and bed and breakfast establishments.
As accommodation is in short supply on this route, however, please note that some establishments will be better than others.
Our accommodation partners are carefully chosen according to a number of factors – charming locations, very good facilities and a reputation for providing Highland hospitality. Wherever available, we will reserve en-suite rooms for you however on this trip it is not always possible.
SINGLE ROOMS
There is no supplement charged to solo travellers, however, you will be required to share a room with another person of the same sex. If you request a double room for single occupancy, a supplement of £320 is charged.
Due to the nature of the accommodations we use, single supplements are limited and are allocated on a first come first served basis.
Wherever available, we will reserve en-suite rooms for you. Please note however that on the West Highland Way this is not always possible due to the limited accommodation options, so on some nights you will have private facilities instead.
Breakfast is provided each morning, as well as lunch and snacks throughout the trip. Dinner is provided every night except on day 4 when you have a free evening and can dine where you choose.
All meals are included in the price of this holiday – with the exception of dinner on day 4. Local pubs and restaurants offer a wide choice of local dishes.
On this trip, we generally eat dinner as a group however if you would like to make alternative arrangements you are free to do so. Your guide will have an evening off during this trip where they do not eat with the group. They will recommend options for dinner that evening and will help you make any necessary reservations.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
You will be met by your Wilderness Scotland Guide in the centre of Glasgow Queen St Railway Station underneath the main departure and arrival board at 08:30am on day 1 of your trip. On your final morning you are free to depart the guest house whenever you like, most people will take the scenic West Highland Railway back to Glasgow, which has several departures daily.
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| Trip Dates for 2020 | Availability | Status | Price | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11th May - 18th May 2020 | 3 place(s) left | CONFIRMED | £1,695 | Book Now |
| 18th May - 25th May 2020 | 11 place(s) left | CONFIRMED | £1,695 | Book Now |
| 1st Jun - 8th Jun 2020 Female only date | 16 place(s) left | UNCONFIRMED | £1,695 | Book Now |
| 15th Jun - 22nd Jun 2020 | 7 place(s) left | CONFIRMED | £1,695 | Book Now |
| 29th Jun - 6th Jul 2020 | 14 place(s) left | CONFIRMED | £1,695 | Book Now |
| 20th Jul - 27th Jul 2020 | 12 place(s) left | CONFIRMED | £1,695 | Book Now |
| 27th Jul - 3rd Aug 2020 | 14 place(s) left | CONFIRMED | £1,695 | Book Now |
| 10th Aug - 17th Aug 2020 | 14 place(s) left | CONFIRMED | £1,695 | Book Now |
| 24th Aug - 31st Aug 2020 | 15 place(s) left | UNCONFIRMED | £1,695 | Book Now |
| 31st Aug - 7th Sep 2020 | 7 place(s) left | CONFIRMED | £1,695 | Book Now |
| 14th Sep - 21st Sep 2020 Female only date | 7 place(s) left | CONFIRMED | £1,695 | Book Now |
| 28th Sep - 5th Oct 2020 | 16 place(s) left | UNCONFIRMED | £1,695 | Book Now |
Sometimes it's nice to get family and friends together and travel privately for some quality time. This means you benefit from all the features of the group departure, including hand-picked accommodation and expert local guides and we'll take care of it all. Then you can make your choice of departures dates and we'll get back to you to finalise the details.
As an avid adventurer, Stevie has life-long experience in Scotland’s outdoors. He’s Co-Owner and Head of Adventure with Wilderness and been with us for over 15 years in a variety of roles, with innovative trip design being both a passion and a speciality. In his spare time, Stevie runs the Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival, bringing the world’s most inspiring adventure filmmakers and athletes to an audience of over 1,500 each year.
- Stevie Christie
Ask Stevie a QuestionBlue Graded Walking Holidays
Blue graded walking holidays are suitable for fit and experienced hikers. We walk at a good pace and you can expect to be out for 6-8 hours a day. You will not always be on a path and the terrain underfoot can be rough and boggy, including boulder fields and mountain tops. Some of the daily walks will involve a mountain ascent of over 3000ft / 900m high. Daily distances will be typically up to 16km but may be longer occasionally. Daily hike details are available in the itinerary.
Rated 4.90 out of 5 based on 136 review(s) of Wilderness Walking – The West Highland Way
Every client receives a feedback survey when they return from their guided, self guided or tailor made holiday with us. Once completed the review is published on our website just as soon as our database updates. The little touches and details are important to us and where issues are raised we make positive changes to our trips to improve your experience.
That’s why we read each of our client’s reviews and although we don’t respond to all of them, if it’s glowing feedback then we get the satisfaction of helping to make your holidays truly memorable.
Simone Mccallum
Reviewed on 12/10/2019
Age: 50 - 60
Country: Canada
Trip Date: 30/09/2019
Trips Taken: 1
The Bottom Line
This was a fantastic trip. The scenery was breathtaking and the guide was truly excellent. I saw many other solo hikers struggling with backpacks and having their focus taken up by the challenges of organizing accommodation and food. I was so glad I didn't have to worry about those things and could, instead, focus on the hike. Additionally, it's worth having a guide as some of the terrain is challenging; it really helps to be guided by someone skilled who is familiar with the route and route options.
Stacey Conley
Reviewed on 30/09/2019
Age: 50 - 60
Country: United States
Trip Date: 02/09/2019
Trips Taken: 1
The Bottom Line
I just wish the scale went higher than 5. Wilderness Scotland is a class act, amazing company. Very impressed with everyone I met and interacted with.
Sydney B. Bennion
Reviewed on 28/09/2019
Age: 60 - 70
Country: United States
Trip Date: 16/09/2019
Trips Taken: 2
The Bottom Line
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