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Thistle within hexagonWest Highland Way

Argyll and Bute, E Dunbartonshire, Highland, Stirling

154 km / 96 miles
Scotland's first official Long Distance Route, and now one of the family of Scotland's Great Trails, crosses a variety of terrain which becomes more rugged as it moves northwards and between the major mountain groups. The Way follows the eastern side of Loch Lomond, crossing the slopes of Ben Lomond to Crianlarich and Bridge of Orchy, the western edge of Rannoch Moor and the entrances to Glen Etive and Glen Coe, and up and over the Devil's Staircase and the highest point of the route at 550m, to reach Kinlochleven. The final section follows General Caulfield's military road over the slopes of the Mamores, crossing wild country with extensive views of the Ben Nevis range to reach Fort William.

The waymarked Kelvin Walkway (9 miles and on OS mapping) connects Milngavie with the Glasgow Heliport on the north bank of the River Clyde, providing a link into central Glasgow, and this Walkway is included in the Trailblazer guide.


Strider News - December 2023 (Publication Update)

New guidebook from Knife Edge Outdoor Guidebooks


Details:

Waymark: Thistle within hexagon
Path Type: Scotland's Great Trails
Waymark: Thistle within hexagon
Attributes: Scotland's Great Trails
Challenging
Lake/Reservoir/Loch
Moorland
Mountain
Start: NS553745 - Milngavie, E Dunbartonshire View on StreetMap
Finish: NN100737 - Bronze statue of walker, Gordon Square, High Street, Fort William, Highland View on StreetMap
Open Date: 1980
Web Sites: West Highland Way (Official Website) Scotland's Great Trails Walk Highlands - Scotland's Long Distance Walking Routes Independent Hostels UK - West Highland Way Accommodation Brian's Walks - West Highland Way north to south [blog] Brian's Walks - West Highland Way south to north [blog] BBC news : New end for West Highland Way The Long Journey of the West Highland Way Trailplanner - West Highland Way [blog] A walker's journal - The West Highland Way [blog] Undiscovered Scotland - West Highland Way West Highland Way [YouTube] Trailwalker - West Highland Way [blog] Scotland Travel Blog April 2023 Camino Adventures - Ultimate Guide to the West Highland Way [blog] West Highland Way [YouTube video] Kevin Augello - West Highland Way [YouTube video] Walking the West Highland Way [YouTube video] Baldhiker - Solo Walk along the West Highland Way [blog]

Publications, Badges and Certificates:

Guidebook Trekking the West Highland Way  (Knife Edge Outdoor Guidebooks  - 2022 )
Guidebook West Highland Way : Milngavie to Fort William  (Trailblazer  - 2022 )
Guidebook West Highland Way: the official guide  (Birlinn  - 2018 )
Guidebook Walking the West Highland Way : Milngavie to Fort William Scottish long distance route  (Cicerone Press  - 2016 )
Guidebook West Highland Way : National Trail Guide  (Aurum Press (an imprint of Quarto)  - 2016 )
Guidebook West Highland Way  (Rucksack Readers  - 2020 )
Guidebook NOT the West Highland Way: diversions over mountains, smaller hills or high passes for 8 of the Way's 9 stages  (Cicerone Press  - 2020 )
Leaflet West Highland Wayfarer  (Famedram Publishing  - Annual )
Certificate Certificate for National Trails  (Long Distance Walkers Association )
General Interest Book National Trails : 19 long-distance routes through England, Scotland and Wales  (Cicerone Press  - 2015 )
General Interest Book Cape to Cape : a 1,250-mile backpacking walk from Cornwall to Cape Wrath in Scotland  (Vertebrate Publishing  - 2018 )
General Interest Book Three men on the Way Way : a story of walking the West Highland Way  (Whittles Publishing  - 2013 )
General Interest Book Big walks of the north  (Summersdale Publishers  - 2010 )
General Interest Book Big walks of Great Britain  (Summersdale Publishers  - 2007 )
Guidebook Walkers' Britain  (AA Publishing  - 2011 )
Guidebook Guide to the West Highland Way  (Constable and Robinson (an imprint of Little, Brown)  - 1988 )
Guidebook Fastpacking : multi-day running adventures : tips, stories and route ideas  (Cicerone Press  - 2018 )
Other West Highland Way map [artwork]  (Famedram Publishing )
General Interest Book Tales from the Big Trails  (Vertebrate Publishing  - 2021 )

Click to showhide 15 more Publications, Badges and Certificates


Maps:

You can use the interactive controls to zoom in and out and to move around the map, or click on a path or a marker for more info.(interactive map help)

Show Connected Path Outlines
Scotland's Great Trails
Paths Marked on OS mapping
Other Paths
Anytime Challenges
Kanters

Show Accommodation
Hostel Accommodation
Bunk House

Show Points of Interest
Walkers are Welcome

Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2016.
© OpenStreetMap contributors under Open Database Licence.
Rights of way data from selected Local Authorities.
Large scale digital mapping is provided by John Thorn.
At high zoom levels the route is indicative only.
Purchase Ordnance Survey Maps (path is named on OS maps):
OS Landranger 41, 50, 56, 57, 64
OS Landranger Active 41, 50, 56, 57, 64
OS Explorer 38, 39, 342, 348, 377, 384, 385, 391, 392, 399
OS Explorer Active 38, 39, 342, 348, 377, 384, 385, 391, 392, 399
Other Paper Maps:
Stripmap
West Highland Way: Map & Guide (Footprint Maps - 2017)
Harvey National Trail map
West Highland Way (Harvey Maps - 2017)
ZigZag 20 Stripmap
West Highland Way 1: Milngavie to Inversnaid (Yellow Publications - June 2016)
ZigZag 20 Stripmap
West Highland Way 2: Inversnaid to Inveroran (Yellow Publications - June 2016)
ZigZag 20 Stripmap
West Highland Way 3: Inveroran to Fort William (Yellow Publications - June 2016)
Map (Other)
West Highland Way (Vertebrate Publishing - 2020)

Click to show 3 more Other Paper Maps


Walking Support Providers:

Support Providers
Baggage Handling (Great Glen Travel)
Support Providers
Baggage Handling (Travel-Lite)
Support Providers
Baggage Handling (AMS Scotland Ltd)
Support Providers
Baggage Handling (Sherpa Van Project)
Support Providers
Baggage Handling and Self Guided Walks (Celtic Trails Walking Holidays)
Support Providers
Support Providers
Support Providers
Support Providers
Guided and Self-Guided Walking Holidays (North-West Frontiers Ltd)
Support Providers
Guided Walking Holidays (Thistle Trekking)
Support Providers
Guided Walking Holidays (Footpath Holidays)
Support Providers
Support Providers
Self-Guided Walking Holidays (Make Tracks Walking Holidays)
Support Providers
Self-Guided Walking Holidays (Contours Holidays)
Support Providers
Self-Guided Walking Holidays (C-N-Do Scotland)
Support Providers
Support Providers
Self-Guided Walking Holidays (Absolute Escapes Ltd)
Support Providers
Self-Guided Walking Holidays (Wilderness Scotland)
Support Providers
Support Providers
Walking, Hiking and Cycling Holidays (Let's Go Walking! Ltd)
Support Providers
Walking, Hiking and Cycling Holidays (Mickledore Travel Ltd)
Support Providers
Self-Guided Walking holidays (Discovery Travel)
Support Providers
Support Providers
Guided Walking Holidays (Northern Guiding)
Support Providers
Self Guided Walking Holidays (Green Traveller)
Support Providers
Support Providers
Baggage Handling and Self-Guided Walks (Walk & Cycle Britain Limited)
Support Providers
Support Providers
Self-Guided Walking Holidays (Sherpa Expeditions)
Support Providers
Self-Guided Walking Holidays (Discovery Walking Holidays)
Support Providers
Baggage Handling and Self-Guided Walks (Great British Walks Limited)
Support Providers
Guided Walking Holidays (Thistle Trekking)
Support Providers
Walking Holidays (Ramble Worldwide)

Click to show 30 more Walking Support Providers


Accommodation within 5 km of this Path:

 
 
From
Path
Along
Path
Bunk House
< 1 km
30 km
Hostel Accommodation
< 1 km
43 km
Hostel Accommodation
1 km
75 km
Hostel Accommodation
< 1 km
84 km
Bunk House
< 1 km
115 km
Walkers are Welcome
< 1 km
129 km
Hostel Accommodation
< 1 km
149 km
Bunk House
3 km
153 km
Hostel Accommodation
3 km
153 km
Hostel Accommodation
< 1 km
154 km

Click to show 8 more Accommodations


Additional Images:


Connected Paths:


Downloads:

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Route Profile:

150.0 km (93.2 miles)
3,946 m (12,946 ft) ascent
552 m (1,811 ft)  maximum height

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