West Highland Way
The West Highland Way was the first official long-distance footpath in Scotland. It links Milngavie (pronounced Mulguy), a suburb of Glasgow, with Fort William, a distance of 95 miles. It makes use of old military tracks, and so the route is mostly obvious. At Fort William it links to the Great Glen Way.
West Highland Way Accommodation
Like no other long-distance path, the accommodation is at very distinct locations, and It is quite likely that the other ramblers you see at the start will finish the walk on the same day. We have split accommodation into Hotels & Inns and Bed & Breakfast. Guest House accommodation is included with Bed and Breakfast, and while we realise many of them are better than some hotels, in order to avoid confusion we have opted for the simpler option. Because of the very definite stopping points on this path, we advise booking accommodation early.
Restaurants and Pubs
We have attempted to give as much information as possible, especially whether pubs serve real ale and/or food, but restaurants and pubs are notoriously changeable. Please let us know if our information is out of date.
West Highland Way Guidebooks & Maps
Guidebooks
We recommend buying two different guidebooks. One will supplement the other in terms of clarity, additional information, etc. The cost of the additional guidebook is very little compared to the cost of the walk.
The West Highland Way Official Guide
By Bob Aitken & Roger Smith.
This guidebook includes a separate Harvey route map at 1:40,000 scale. The route, which mostly uses old military tracks, is very obvious and straightforward, so the map included with this guidebook should suffice.
West Highland Way: Glasgow - Fort William
By Charlie Loran.
Includes hand-drawn 1:20,000 scale route maps based on OS maps, plus a wealth of additional information. Excellent value.
The West Highland Way: from Milngavie to Fort William
By Terry Marsh (Cicerone)
Includes map extracts at the inadequate 1:50,000 scale, but has good route description and other information
West Highland Way by Anthony Burton
Includes OS 1:25,000 map extracts.
Maps
Do not feel tempted to save money buying the 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey maps; they do not have anywhere near the same detail as the 1:25,000 scale maps, and do not show field boundaries.
The following Ordnance Survey `Explorer’ maps at 1:25,000 scale cover the route, but as the route is obvious they should not be necessary. However, we include them for people (like us) who love maps:
342 Glasgow
347 Loch Lomond South
364 Loch Lomond North
348 Campsie Fells
377 Loch Etive & Glen Orchy
384 Glen Coe & Glen Etive
392 Ben Nevis & Fort William
Alternatively, there is the Harvey’s map of the West Highland Way, which is for all intents and purposes the same as the one included with the official guide.
Buying the West Highland Way Guidebooks and Maps
By clicking on the guidebook or map images, you can view the guidebooks and maps and order them through us online.
West Highland Way Website Links
The West Highland Way has an official website:
www.west-highland-way.co.uk
There is an online form for contacting them, or you can email them direct:
whwmailbox@lochlomond-trossachs.org
Walking in Scotland
website also has information on walking the West Highland Way:
www.walkinginscotland.org
Public Transport
Although we have included rail station information and some bus services, the following website will prove useful:
www.carlberry.co.uk/rfnshowr.asp?RN=HIWAYA&G=1
West Highland Way
Mileage and Services Table
Please click on a location to open the page displaying Accommodation, Camping, Pub and Restaurant information for that location.
NOTE: Figures after the `+' sign indicates miles off route. The table legend can be found at the bottom of the page.
| LOCATION | CUMULATIVE MILES | FACILITIES |
|---|---|---|
| Milngavie | - | H,B&B,R,PH,Rail,Bus |
| Drymen | 11¾ | H,B&B,C,R,PH,Bus |
| Balmaha | 18¾ | Inn,B&B,C,R,Bus |
| Rowardennan | 26¼ | H,B&B,C |
| Inversnaid | 34 | H |
| Beinglas | 40 | B&B,C,R,Bar |
| Inverarnan | 40 + ½ | Inn,B&B |
| Ardlui | 40 + 2¾ | H,C,R,Bar,Train,Bus |
| Crianlarich | 46¾ + ½ | H,B&B,R,PH,Rail,Bus |
| Ewich | 49½ | B&B |
| Tyndrum | 53¼ | All |
| Bridge of Orchy | 61¼ | H,Bunkhouse,R,PH,Rail |
| Inveroran | 63¾ | H |
| Glencoe | 71½ | H |
| Kinlochleven | 80½ | H,B&B,Hostel,C,R,PH,Bus |
| Fort William | 95 | All (Excl. C) |
Legend
| B&B | Bed & Breakfast Accommodation |
| CS | Camping Shop |
| C | Camping |
| H | Hotel or Inn Accommodation |
| PH | Pub or Bar |
| R | Restaurant, Bar Meal or Tea Shop |
| YHA | Youth Hostel |
Contact us
If you want to email us with comments or amendments, wish to add to our free listing, or wish to upgrade to Superior Listing, please right-click and copy the link below and paste into your email facility:
westhighlandway@ramblefest.com