West Highland Way: If you are interested in taking a walking trip through Scotland, the West Highland Way is a stretch of about 95 miles that links Fort William to Milngavie. Along the way you will pass through small towns and villages and enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery in Scotland. The West Highland Way is a walking trail only that uses the old roads that the early settlers used for driving their cattle to market, the military roads built during the days of the Jacobite Rebellion and old railway lines that are no longer in use. As you walk this trail, you will be walking in the footsteps of some of the great Scottish leaders down through the ages.
When you choose the West Highland Way to get to see Scotland, it is best done from south to north. It will take you about seven days to complete and will take you through moors and mountains and along the sides of the lochs. In addition to having good walking boots, you should also include a compass, a map, insect repellent as well as food and drink. There are accommodations available in most of the towns and villages along the West Highland Way, but between the Bridge of Orchy and Kinlochleven, they are few and far between. If you are planning to take this trip in the summer, it is best to make your reservations in advance.
Distance:
152 kms - 95 miles
Special Requirements:
Good Walking Shoes
The Route:
Some of the places that you will pass through as you wind your way along the West Highland Way include the Queen Elizabeth Forest and the shores of Loch Lomond. The walkway follows the wooded shores to Inverarnan and you will cross the Highland Boundary Fault. This is the dividing line of the Highlands and the Midland Valley and is recognizable in the type of topography that you will encounter.
Rannoch Moor is also located along the West Highland Way and this area is very beautiful in spite of its isolated location. This boggy area is where you will need your boots most of all, but the abundance of wildlife will surely take you mind off the hard walk. Climb the Devil's Staircase before you descend into Kinlochleven and pass along by the foot of Ben Nevis just before you finish the trail. Most of the walkers culminate the conclusion of the West Highland Way by climbing to the top of this mountain – the highest one in Britain.
There are also villages just a short distance from the West Highland Way that can provide a very welcome diversion, when you are in need of a meal or come company at the pub.
