West Highland Way | OUR STAGES
The West Highland Way (WHW) is a 150 km long trail which spans between Milngavie and Fort William, leading hikers through the dramatic landscapes of the Scottish Highlands, crossing several villages which offer a good selection of accommodations, food and public transports.
On average, hikers usually take between 6 and 9 days to complete this trekking, depending on fitness level and pace.
Here you’ll find a description of the stages we hiked along the WHW. The “official stage no.” that you’ll find in the comments is according to the 7 official stages described in Cicerone’s guide book. Since we strongly believe in the HYOH (Hike Your Own Hike) principle, we also provide more information about thru-hike direction and alternative start points along the trail.
Our WHW Stages
We thru hiked the West Highland Way in 7 stages, elencated here below. You will find a short stage overview in terms of distance, elevation gain and loss, and walking time. Additionally, we wrote down some important remarks for each stage and some memories for us to remember.
STAGE 1: Milngavie - Drymen
Distance: 20 km
Elevation Gain: 255 m
Elevation Loss: 255 m
Walking Time: 5h 30min
IMPORTANT REMARKS
This is the official stage no. 1 of the WHW. It is an easy stage across woodlands and open pastures, following good paths and treks. At approximately half of the stage, hikers will find the opportunity to visit the Glengoyne Distillery, take a glimpse into Scottish culture and learn about the whisky making process. Shortly after the distillery, the Beech Tree Inn is an inviting temptation for a lunch break.
MEMORIES
After taking the iconic picture with the WHW monument, we left Milngavie and started hiking with smiling faces and clear weather. Our backpacks felt heavy and our backs started hurting after a while. As we reached the Glengoyne Distillery, we therefore decided to take a long cultural break and participated in a tour of the distillery... it was a very good idea, as we had fun tasting different types of whiskies and learning something new about whisky making! We then kept walking and arrived in Drymen in the afternoon. After a quick stop at our accommodation, we headed straight to the pub!
STAGE 2: Drymen - Rowardennan
Distance: 24 km
Elevation Gain: 640 m
Elevation Loss: 670 m
Walking Time: 6h 30min
IMPORTANT REMARKS
This is the official stage no. 2 of the WHW and includes a climb to Conic Hill, from which hikers can enjoy spectacular views on Loch Lomond, even on a foggy and rainy day! Towards the half of the stage, the village of Balmaha offers accommodations to those who would like to split this stage.
MEMORIES
We were looking forward to climbing on top of Conic Hill… the fog seemed to float on the surface of the lake, and it made the landscapes look even more mystical and breathtaking! During this stage, we could also observe some fluffy highlanders and the lake of Loch Lomond accompanied us until Rowardennan, where we pitched our tent and enjoyed a few rays of sun.
STAGE 3: Rowardennan - Inverarnan
Distance: 22 km
Elevation Gain: 670 m
Elevation Loss: 660 m
Walking Time: 8h
IMPORTANT REMARKS
The official stage no. 3 of the WHW runs from Rowardennan to Crianlarich, hence approximately 10 km after Inverarnan. However, the section until Inverarnan is definitely the most demanding of the WHW, as it follows the coast of Loch Lomond on a tortuous and strenuous up-and-down trail. Therefore, after taking a lunch break at the Inversnaid Hotel, 12 km into the hike, we decided to only hike until Inverarnan.
MEMORIES
This was a tough day, but we managed to keep a steady pace while hiking along the shore of Loch Lomond, despite the many ups and downs of the path. As we arrived to Inverarnan, my leg muscles suddenly became super stiff… even stretching didn’t help! I remember Yannick loughing at me while walking to the Drovers Inn for our dinner… I probably had a ridiculous walking style! The Drovers Inn was definitely worth a visit, and legends say it is hunted by ghosts :)
STAGE 4: Inverarnan - Tyndrum
Distance: 21 km
Elevation Gain: 670 m
Elevation Loss: 460 m
Walking Time: 6h 30min
IMPORTANT REMARKS
The official stage no. 4 of the WHW runs from Crianlarich (10 km after Inverarnan) to Bridge of Orchy (10 km after Tyndrum). However, since the previous day we walked until Inverarnan only, we decided to end our fourth stage in Tyndrum and have a lunch break half way through, in Crianlarich. This is a gentler stage across woodlands and pastures.
MEMORIES
During this stage we walked through a beautiful forest, dense of magical athmosphere. At lunch time, we reached the junction to Crianlarich, and decided to get a well deserved break. Although this stage was easy, our legs were still tired from the previous day… additionally, it started pouring rain towards the end of the stage, and setting up our tent was not an appealing task. We were extremely lucky to find a free spot in a Hobbit Cabin in Tyndrum, where we could spend a cozy warm night and dry our gear.
STAGE 5: Tyndrum - Glencoe Mountain Resort
Distance: 26 km
Elevation Gain: 630 m
Elevation Loss: 500 m
Walking Time: 8h 30min
IMPORTANT REMARKS
The official stage no. 5 of the WHW runs from Bridge of Orchy (10 km after Tyndrum) to Kingshouse (3 km after Glencoe Mountain Resort). This stage is the most isolated on the WHW and leads hikers through the dramatic landscapes of Rannoch Moor. The section through Rannoch Moor is an adventure! It can be quite exposed in bad weather, as it follows a wide stony road with mountains on one side and open land to the other side, and there is no shelter on the way.
MEMORIES
This was a day we will never forget! As we left the Inveroran Hotel after a lunch break and started hiking across Rannoch Moor, the landcapes were mesmerizing, but suddenly, in the distance, dark clouds started to form… the wind was rising, and we knew… we knew we were going to get caught by a storm in the middle of nowhere. Half way through the Moor, rain started pouring on us and the wind was so strong we couldn’t walk straight… it was a very tough hike to Glencoe Mountain Resort, but we finally made it with a rainbow greeting us from the distance. At the resort, we were extremely lucky to have the chance to share a cabin with two German girls, so we didn’t have to spend the night in our tent under the storm.
STAGE 6: Glencoe Mountain Resort - Kinlochleven
Distance: 17 km
Elevation Gain: 460 m
Elevation Loss: 800 m
Walking Time: 6h
IMPORTANT REMARKS
The official stage no. 6 of the WHW runs from Kingshouse (3 km after Glencoe Mountain Resort) to Kinlochleven. The path provides good views of some of the mountains of Glen Coe and includes the climb of Devil’s Staircase. Inspite of the infamous reputation of this climb given by its name, the ascent is not difficult at all. The stage ends then with a long but gentle descent to Kinlochleven.
MEMORIES
As we woke up and peeked out of the cabin’s window, we already knew it was going to be a good day. The sun was shining into a blue sky… and gorgeous views were awaiting us. We kept a steady pace until the top of Devil’s Staircase, where we enjoyed our sandwiches. We were very tired and took a nap as soon as we arrived in Kinlochleven. We then had dinner with Carla, a friend met on trail, and tasted some whisky together.
STAGE 7: Kinlochleven - Fort William
Distance: 24 km
Elevation Gain: 710 m
Elevation Loss: 710 m
Walking Time: 7h 30min
IMPORTANT REMARKS
This is the final and official stage no. 7 of the WHW. It is quite a long stage with little shelter and no refreshments, so make sure you are prepared in case of bad weather. After a steep climb out of Kinlochleven, the trail leads through a hiddem gem, the secluded valley of Lairig Mor. When the highest point is reached, the trail is then all downhill to Glen Nevis, and finally to Fort William.
MEMORIES
Our last day on the WHW was a journey of emotions… we were tired, annoyed by the cold weather, sad that our hike was coming to an end, happy to have lived such a beautiful adventure, and madly in love with the landscapes. As we reached Fort William, we took the iconic picture with the statue and joined other hikers celebrating at the pub.
Walking Direction
The West Highland Way, as any other thru hike, can be walked in both directions, starting either from Milngavie or from Fort William. Hikers usually choose to start their adventure from the South, in Milngavie, and walk towards the North, to Fort William, as indicated by most of the guides.
We also hiked South to North and we really enjoyed how the landscapes were changing along the way, while getting deeper into the Scottish Highlands.
Alternative Start Points
The West Highland Way is not a remote trail. Most of the villages along the way are therefore connected by public transports and could be used as alternative start or end points for your hiking adventure. However, we advise to check the frequency of public transports in advance on up-to-date timetables, which can be retrieved at information centers in Glasgow, Milngavie and Fort William.
Public transports are available at following places:
Milngavie
Drymen
Balmaha
Inverarnan
Crianlarich
Tyndrum
Bridge of Orchy
Kingshouse
Kinlochleven
Fort William
Trail Map and GPX File
Here you can find a map that I customized using AllTrails, showing an overview of our stages along the West Highland Way. In case the view of the map is not optimal, you can try to re-select the display mode. You can click on the first map title to head to the AllTrails website, where all the waypoints are described.
Additionally, here you can download the GPX file that we used on the trail.