View Full Version : Anyone walked the West Highland Way?
Hey ya'll, I'm heading to Scotland in June, and a trip along the West highland way is on my list.
I've researched lots about the trail (or path, really, as much of it goes along old road ), but only a handful of journals offer insight from a backpacker's perspective, much less a foreigner's experience (all the writers seem to know the area really well already).
Any of ya'll been over there? I'd love to hear about it. Thanks!
Haven't hiked it, but have been thinking of it. I talked with Bob Peoples about it last year - he's hiked it and you might try contacting him at Kincora Hostel.
Rain Man
04-15-2015, 11:23
My daughter Grass ('04 AT thru-hiker) hiked it about 3 years ago. If you'll email me contact info, I'll forward it to her. She enjoyed it and had some good stories and observations to share.
Rain Man
The Kisco Kid
04-15-2015, 11:59
I hiked the southern half when in lived in Glasgow. Real nice walk. Gently graded, so much so that they recommend a 20 miler the first day. Some of the campsites have bathrooms, some are more primitive. Some are easy walks to a pub! Scots are very friendly people, the cows not so much.
Old Hillwalker
04-15-2015, 15:31
I walked it twice, once northbound the conventional way and the second time southbound. It is a very touristy footpath where some hikers have their packs transported, some do B&Bs all the way. When I went SOBO I must have passed at least 100 people every morning. Responding to all the "good mornings" got to be a real pain. Just for fun I responded in every language I could think of. Nice scenery, but pretty much flat except for Conic Hill just as you approach Loch Lomond and at the north end approaching Ben Nevis.
My favorite hike in Scotland over the years has been the route to Cape Wrath: http://www.capewrathtrail.org/#
My Cape Wrath Blog: http://www.samohtw.blogspot.com/
I walked it twice, once northbound the conventional way and the second time southbound. It is a very touristy footpath where some hikers have their packs transported, some do B&Bs all the way. When I went SOBO I must have passed at least 100 people every morning. Responding to all the "good mornings" got to be a real pain. Just for fun I responded in every language I could think of. Nice scenery, but pretty much flat except for Conic Hill just as you approach Loch Lomond and at the north end approaching Ben Nevis.
My favorite hike in Scotland over the years has been the route to Cape Wrath: http://www.capewrathtrail.org/#
My Cape Wrath Blog: http://www.samohtw.blogspot.com/
The crowds are a concern of mine, as well as a fear of it being too easy... I love me some hills and rocks. But then again it will be my first solo backpacking trip. Plus, Scotland!!!!
Thanks for the links and info.
I've run the southern 53 miles of the trail as part of the Highland Fling race, and run most of the northern half in bits.
You might be interested in this page, which has an altitude profile and map of the entire trail. (Yes, a few very talented runners can run the entire 95 miles in under 16 hours!!)
http://climbers.net/race/West-Highland-Way-2012
in June you'll have a lot of biting midges, so definitely take full body cover, a head net, and insect repellent. If you are lucky they will only be bad around dawn & dusk.
Old Hillwalker
04-16-2015, 15:23
Oh yea, I forgot to mention the Scottish Scourge, the Ferocious Midge. One of the times I went I had been hiking above treeline in the Whites all summer and by my trip in August was so darkly tanned that they would be all over my arms and legs, but nary a bite. The lady that ran a B&B in Fort William told me" they'l nay bite ye, you'r too dark. She was right. I guess that deeply tanned skin is a bit thicker than usual. Some of our milder bug dopes work well keeping them from landing and biting, but they will still hover about you in clouds which is pretty disconcerting.
I have gone hiking and backpacking to Scotland every other year since 1991. I have relatives there.
The crowds are a concern of mine, as well as a fear of it being too easy... I love me some hills and rocks.
There are hilly & rocky sections along the WHW, but if you're finding the flatter sections a bit too easy, you can take detours and summit some of the many nearby mountains. Just buy the OS (Ordnance Survey) 1:25K scale maps and you'll be able to join together public footpaths to make up your own route based on the WHW. And avoid some of the crowds at the same time.
Awesome, ya'll! And if dark skin is a mosquito repellant then I will be mosquito cheetoes, because I'm as pasty as they get.
takethisbread
06-16-2015, 07:33
The crowds are a concern of mine, as well as a fear of it being too easy... I love me some hills and rocks. But then again it will be my first solo backpacking trip. Plus, Scotland!!!!
Thanks for the links and info.
I'm heading to whw in October and there is still a reasonable amount of elevation gain on the trail, I think around 25,000 feet of gain over the 96 miles, that's comparable to the PCT here in the US. (And less than the AT) I'm not going to see the crowds so much in October but still hoping to be able to climb Ben Nevis by late October . Good luck!
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I hiked it quite a long time ago, in the 90's, with two of my then-young kids. Beautiful. Do bring a head net. And good rain gear. We lucked out and only had one day of rain during our hike. Then, after we had finished and were camped at the base of Ben Nevis, it rained so hard the tent was floating.
There are a number of country house hotels along the way, if you want to splash out for a place to dry out, take a hot bath, have a hearty dinner with a few pints, and set yourself up the following day with a hearty "full Scottish" breakfast.
It's a very popular trail. You won't be alone. But you should meet a number of interesting people from all over the place.
The crowds are a concern of mine, as well as a fear of it being too easy... I love me some hills and rocks. But then again it will be my first solo backpacking trip. Plus, Scotland!!!!
Depending on which section you do, if you want hills there are plenty to be seen in close proximity. If you're going through Fort William Way then there's the following that I'd suggest:
Ben Nevis (Highest peak in the UK). Not hard by any stretch but a decent hill.
Walk to Steall Falls (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steall_Waterfall) through Glenn Nevis, climb Aonach Beag and Aonach Mor
Ring of Steall walk, taking in An Gearanach , Stob Coire a Chairn, Am Bodach and then follows the Devils Ridge to Sgurr a'Mhaim. This is a pretty tough walk taking 10/12 hours.
Jacobite steam train (it's scenic and if you like Harry Potter, it was on that).
As always in the highlands, make sure you are well equipped when in the hills.
Funny! I actually just finished the whw yesterday. Exactly 4 days. It was beautiful, tricky weather though. Posh camping too! The trail itself wasn't terrifically challenging, but the scenery is nonstop.
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...My favorite hike in Scotland over the years has been the route to Cape Wrath: http://www.capewrathtrail.org/#
My Cape Wrath Blog: http://www.samohtw.blogspot.com/
+1 there ya go. Take the non road walking route and don't always stay in a town every night especially if ya get some decent weather windows., Consider throwing in some "ribs."