West Highland Way
The West Highland Way is a linear long-distance hiking route in Scotland, running from Milngavie (north of Glasgow) to Fort William in the Highlands. The full route distance is 154 km (96 miles), and it opened in 1980 as Scotland’s first officially designated long-distance footpath.
Most people walk the trail south to north, typically in 7 to 8 days (with common faster completions for very fit, experienced walkers). The route is split into day stages—Milngavie to Drymen (19 km), Drymen to Rowardennan (24 km), Rowardennan to Inverarnan (22.5 km), Inverarnan to Tyndrum (19.5 km), Tyndrum to Inveroran (14.5 km), Inveroran to Kingshouse (16 km), Kingshouse to Kinlochleven (14.5 km), and Kinlochleven to Fort William (24 km).
Terrain varies from lowland walking to steep hill paths and open moorland. Expect a mix of countryside tracks, loch-shore walking, and high-ground sections; parts of the route can be badly eroded where heavy use concentrates walkers onto a single line.
Sections include a high-point crossing near Devil’s Staircase (near Kingshouse) and a major descent down to Kinlochleven, with the route continuing on to Fort William. A commonly highlighted difficult piece is the eastern Loch Lomond/Rob Roy’s Cave area around Inversnaid–Inverarnan, where the route involves very steep ground with boulders and some scrambling over obstacles.
Loch Lomond brings specific camping constraints: camping along the shore of Loch Lomond is by permit only from 1 March to 30 September. If you’re planning to wild camp elsewhere, keep low-impact practices in mind and treat permit rules as part of your logistics.
The route is managed through a dedicated West Highland Way management group, working with land and area partners including NatureScot and the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park authority. Ongoing maintenance is part of how the trail stays usable despite erosion in high-traffic areas.
Wayfinding is supported by frequent route markers, including the iconic thistle-style markers with arrows indicating walking direction. For navigation, you can also use downloadable GPS tracks for each route section, which helps when you’re moving between stages.
Preparation matters: scout/inspect committed route features and check current conditions before you go, especially where the trail transitions between wet ground and steep/boulder sections (the scrambling ground near Inversnaid–Inverarnan and exposed hill sections near Devil’s Staircase can change a lot with rain).
More information: Official website, Official website, Wikipedia