What is the West Highland Way?
The West Highland Way is a popular walking path across the Highlands of Scotland. It begins in the town of Milngavie on the northwest side of Glasgow and travels north for 96 miles to the town of Fort William. Many walkers from around the world come to challenge themselves and to see the beauty of Scotland in a very unique and intimate way. Many towns along the way welcome walkers and provide accommodation, food, and a pint of beer. You have a choice of several types of accommodation including packing your own tent and wild camping, glamping in camping huts, or staying at a bed & breakfast or hotel. Something for every budget and comfort level! For a little history and some fun facts about the West Highland Way, click here.
My Journey to the West Highland Way
I first heard about the West Highland Way (WHW) several years ago when researching long walks, such as the Camino de Santiago in Spain or the Tour de Mont Blanc. The WHW seemed like a good “first” multi-day walk that didn’t need to include camping and could be done in about a week. Plus, it’s in Scotland! I bought a copy of the Trailblazer book on the WHW not knowing if or when I would be able to actually do it. Cut to a few years later, my boys are out of school and can house and pet sit for me so the logistics were more in my favor. I had already traveled internationally alone the two previous years so it didn’t seem too overwhelming anymore. So, in January 2020, I sat down with a calendar, my Trailblazer book, and the internet and booked my itinerary for June 2020.
And then Covid hit
It was only March, surely things will be good by June. Well, no it wasn’t, so I rebooked for April 2021. That didn’t work either. Now I’m vaccinated so let’s give it one more try in 2021 and rebook for September. YES!
Over the summer of 2021 and the emergence of the delta variant of Covid, I went back and forth several times on whether I was going to be able to travel to Scotland or not. Then, in early July, the UK announced it would allow vaccinated Americans into the UK without needing to quarantine for 10 days which was great news! I was still very aware that this could change at any time and also considered if I should be traveling during a pandemic.
It wasn’t until about a week before I was scheduled to leave that I made the decision to go. My reasoning was that to get on the plane, everyone had to be vaccinated and/or at least have a negative covid test and wear a mask. The UK also seems to take precautions much more seriously, masks are required on all public transport and inside all public places, and the citizens actually do it. Plus, I was going to be outside a good part of the time I was there and was in private accommodation every night. I decided to do it!
I’m glad I decided to go as it ended up being a perfect time to be there. There were considerably fewer people walking the way this year with the travel restrictions so it was nice to support the businesses that make their livelihood off the walkers. Considering the WHW was shut down during 2020, a lot of these businesses were struggling. Also, the weather was exceptional!
My Itinerary:
I chose a combination of hostels and camping huts for my accommodation during the walk which helped to determine my itinerary. Seven days seemed like the best option as it would allow plenty of time to enjoy the scenery without feeling like I had to turn out big miles every day.
Day 1 – Milngavie to Drymen Camping – 10 miles
Day 2 – Drymen Camping to Rowardennan Youth Hostel – 17 miles
Day 3 – Rowardennan Youth Hostel to Inverarnan – 13.5 miles
Day 4 – Inverarnan to Tyndrum – 12.5 miles
Day 5 – Tyndrum to Glencoe Mountain Resort – 19 miles
Day 6 – Glencoe Mountain Resort to Kinlochleven – 9 miles
Day 7 – Kinlochleven to Fort William – 15 miles
So how did it go? Click here for what it was like traveling during a pandemic or here for my arrival in Glasgow.
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