In early April this year, I again flew overseas to hike in the UK and visit relatives. The main objective was to thru-walk Scotland’s first official national path, the 98 mile (156 km) West Highland Way (WHW) completed in 1980. It runs from Milngavie, on the outskirts of Glasgow, northwards to Fort William in the highlands.

 

 

After a week of walks with my Norfolk friends in the Lake District of NW England, I proceeded by bus and train to Milngavie. The path is a major attraction for the town and most hikers begin here. 

 

I spent a restful weekend in Milngavie, taking time to explore the nearby wooded Mugdock Country Park with its colourful gardens and castle ruins, after which the 8-day walk began. Overnight accommodations and luggage transfer were pre-booked as usual with Walkers Britain. It was mid-April, still early spring in Scotland, and I was hoping for good weather. As it turned out, it was quite wet over the first two days, resulting in very muddy paths and wet boots, then it cleared with largely sunny skies and cool temperatures, perfect for walking. Luck was with me.

The path starts with long stretches through valleys (called glens) and across moors and farmlands, then ventures around a mountain top, dips to the famous Loch Lomond, and goes relentlessly along the loch’s edge for two days. It then travels through countless glens, crosses the huge Rannoch Moor, then follows a historic military road through more glens, with some quite demanding climbs over ridges and hills. 

 

The last three days of the trek were the most demanding, with a stiff climb early each day and seemingly endless straight stretches of path. The scenery became more spectacular as I walked from the lowlands into the highlands, the peaks of distant snowbound mountains seen in all directions when the clouds and mists allowed.

 

 

On the first day, I was walking towards the village of Drymen, enjoying the beautiful views of the glens and the distant mountains, the sheep farms, and the small lanes and paths, all clearly waymarked.  

 

Early on, I met other walkers, on this day two American chaps from Illinois; they were good company, very chatty, and quite determined to walk the whole path in 4-5 days. Later on, I walked with folks from the Shetland Islands, Australia, Netherlands, and surprisingly, Grand Manan Island, NB! Interestingly, there were many solitary walkers like myself.  The first day was pretty level and easy, but very wet and muddy. I arrived at my destination, a lovely Inn, after 6.5 hr. and 19 km. 

 

 

Day 2 was from Drymen to Rowardennan located on Loch Lomond (23 km). It was overcast and rainy and started with a long road through forestry areas where I met and joined up with a lady from the Outer Hebrides. I was previously unaware of how much forestry was done in Scotland, and on this walk, I passed by many tree plantations, largely Sitka spruce. By mid- morning, there was a steady climb up and around a mountain called Conic Hill. 

 

Conditions were not ideal - chilly, rainy and sleety, muddy, and very gusty. The trail was difficult and the descent was on very wet large stones newly laid to preserve the path. My trusty hiking poles prevented falling. Once off the mountain, we entered woods and walked towards the spectacular Loch Lomond and a much welcomed lunch at a lakeside café at Balmaha. 

 

The wet and muddy rocky path, considered a challenging part of the whole walk, continued along the lake shore, with an occasional road and many beautiful mountain views. We arrived late at the Rowardennan Hotel and I settled in. Every hotel where I stayed on this walk was comfortable, with good dining, and especially hearty breakfasts. I faithfully followed the mantra – “protein for dinner, carbs for breakfast”! 

 

 

Day 3, from Rowardennan to Ardlui (located across the Loch, on the northwest side, reached by small boat), was a beautiful sunny day. I continued to hike with the lady from the Outer Hebrides. 

 

The day started easily from the hotel, passing by a war memorial , along an old road through the woods above the lake, heading north. It soon became a rough, undulating rocky and muddy wet path along the lakeside. At times though, there were easier stretches, with beautiful views and the day stayed sunny. 

 

By late afternoon, I reached the small wharf and after a short wait with some other hikers, we went over to the hotel at Ardlui by small boat. The short ride offered a view of distant mountains and the long forested lakeshore that we had walked along all day. 

 

 

 

The fourth day was almost 8 hours and over 20 km of walking, from Ardlui to the service town of Tyndrum, via Crianlarich. It was a partly sunny and cool day. The path, some of it on an old military road, went along two glens, and across treed hillsides, some being actively clear-cut. At the lunch spot near Crianlarich, I met up with other hikers, including a keen backpacker, Adam, from England. 

 

I walked on and off with him for much of the afternoon, it was good company. The final glen that day had extensive farmland with many sheep and glorious views of the mountains to the south. We walked by the ruins of the medieval Priory of St. Fillan and its historic and well-maintained cemetery. After more woodland walking, we finally reached Tyndrum and for me, the nearby Glengarry Guest House. 

 

After a dinner in town with three hikers from the path, I enjoyed the late evening sitting at the guest house viewing the snowy highlands of nearby Trossachs National Park. I was now midway on the walk. 

 

 

Day 5 was a well-chosen short walking day, only 14 km from Tyndrum to the hotel in the hamlet of Bridge of Orchy. It was overcast, rainy and misty. I left Tyndrum on the north side on a well-marked path, winding up the glen at the base of two mountains, and along-side the busy main road and railway. It was fairly easy walking, as it was again the old military road, bumpy, wet, but easy to follow, and shared with a few other walkers. 

 

 

Arriving in early afternoon, I had plenty of rest while watching other walkers cross the famous 1750s bridge and continue up the path. An early night was on order, knowing from the guidebooks that the final three days of this trek were going to be strenuous.

 

 

As predicted, the next three days were a challenging introduction to the highlands terrain. Walking to the historic Kings House Hotel in the Glencoe Valley and the heart of the western highlands on Day 6 started with really pleasant weather, a bit overcast but sunny generally. Starting early, I tackled a stiff switchback out of Bridge of Orchy, through a forest to a summit of a high ridge. 

 

 

Then it was downhill on the old military road to a main road, crossing the Victoria Bridge at the end of Loch Tulla, and starting up the old drovers road to Glencoe. The narrow road with its beautiful stone bridges wound relentlessly across the endless Rannoch Moor - desolate, windy, a wilderness of 50 sq. miles. 

 

 

Snowy mountains surround the moor. Fellow hiker Rachel caught up with me and we eventually found a sheltered place for lunch, just off the path amidst the ruins of yet another abandoned stone farmhouse. 

After more hours on the moor, the path finally headed downhill into a wide glen with its Glencoe Ski Centre and a newly rebuilt but historic Kings House Hotel. Arriving mid-afternoon, I soon relaxed in the pub and enjoyed its wonderful mountain views. Across the valley is the pyramidal mountain Buachaille Etive Mor, with its sheer climbers rock face, a famous landmark at the entrance of the storied Glencoe valley, noted for a massacre in 1692 of the MacDonald clan and later for the Scottish Clearances. An early night beckoned.

 

The route from Kingshouse to Kinlochleven (14 km) on Day 7 was beautiful, and soon to be strenuous. I started early on a sunny morning with the very long walk along Glen Etive on the military road, straight, long, and rough. After 5 km, there was the waymarked entry to the infamous Devil’s Staircase, named by the soldiers who laboured on the road in the 1700s. 

 

A steep and rough switchback climb led to the top of a mountain ridge, the highest point on the WHW at 548m, with beautiful mountain vistas. In clear weather, Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain, can be seen from this summit. 

 

 

A long slow descent followed on a good path to the aluminium smelter town of Kinlochleven, located at the head of Loch Leven. It is famous for a nearby hydro dam built to power the smelter and town. I checked into the Highland Getaway Inn, after an outdoor lunch with fellow hikers, now very familiar faces. Such camaraderie kept me going on this walk, as well as emails from family. 

 

I had time to explore the town and a display of a huge Pelton Wheel, a water impulse turbine used to generate waterpower for the smelter. It had been a good weather day, and while only 14 km, the walk felt longer likely due to the long glen and steep Devils Staircase. 

 

 

The walk from Kinlochleven to Fort William was the final long one (24.5 km, over 8 hours) and tiring. The path started with a steep climb out of the glen, with good views looking back towards the town, then a long walk west on the old military road at the base of several mountains. The path eventually turned north on a bumpy track through many areas of deforestation and new tree plantings, a sadly disturbed landscape. Finally, I was heading towards Ben Nevis and Fort William on Loch Linnhe. I came into the town along side the visitor center and soon found my Guest House. 

 

The following morning, I walked to the centre of town and down its main street to the official end of the WHW path – a bronze statue of an old contemplative man sitting on a bench. I celebrated the occasion with other walkers that morning. The WHW trek was completed but happily, many memories, pictures and new friendships remain! 

 

More walking adventures from “New Scotland” are being planned.

 

 

 

Words by Peter Wells who travelled on the West Highland Way self-guided trip in Scotland.