Premier Inn Glasgow Bearsden
Start · night before Milngavie → Drymen
Quiet, reliable rooms a short taxi from the Milngavie obelisk — a calm, family-friendly bed for the eve of Day 1.
3 day highlights of the 7-day route · Scotland
West Highland Way
Lochs, mist and emerald ridges — a walk that softens the chest.
Real photographs of these places, from open archives. No renders, no borrowed scenery, no illustrations dressed up as trail.
Trip facts
- Days here
- 3
- Distance
- 17.9 km
- Ascent
- 361 m
- Difficulty
- Strenuous
- Soul Signature
- 90 / 100
- GPX
- Ready
Highlights of the full 7-day, 154 km route
Full trail: 154 km
Full trip + each day
- Soul90
- Serenity90
- Regenerative72
- Family-friendly99
- Joy & beauty90
A quiet welcome
Scotland's first long-distance path — 154 km from lowland Milngavie into the highland grandeur of Fort William. Three carefully chosen day-stages distill its whole soul: the mirror of a loch, the honest climb of a pass, the wide green shoulder of a mountain that has watched over Gaelic walking for centuries.
The walking
Day by day.
Every distance and ascent below is measured from the same stored foot line the GPX contains — page and file always agree. These are the 3 days we have walked and verified on a trail normally walked in 7. We publish what we can stand behind, never a day we have not measured.
- Day 01
Balmaha · Loch Lomond
Conic Hill above Loch Lomond
↔ 4.9 km↑ +123 m◔ 4 hGPX readyA short heather climb to a panoramic perch above Loch Lomond and its scatter of green islands. One of the great gentle views in Britain.
Serenity88Regenerative74Family-friendly82Joy & beauty89- Getting there
- Bus 309 from Balloch railway station to Balmaha (40 min). Balloch is a direct train from Glasgow Queen Street.
- Stays
- Oak Tree Inn at Balmaha for a Scottish-pub night. Wild camping is allowed under the Loch Lomond byelaws — check zones.
- Family notes
- Short, well-marked, and one of the most rewarding ratios of effort to view in Scotland. Carry midge repellent in summer.
- Day 02
Glencoe · Lochaber
Devil's Staircase to Kinlochleven
↔ 6.9 km↑ +23 m / −492 m◔ 5 hGPX readyClimb the old military zigzag over the Aonach Eagach shoulder, then drop slowly into the village of Kinlochleven beside its loch.
Serenity89Regenerative75Family-friendly78Joy & beauty91- Getting there
- Citylink 914/915 from Glasgow stops at Altnafeadh on the A82. Returns from Kinlochleven.
- Stays
- Blackwater Hostel and Macdonald Hotel in Kinlochleven — both walker-loved, with drying rooms and big breakfasts.
- Family notes
- The climb is sustained but never technical. Bring waterproofs — weather changes fast on the pass.
- Day 03
Fort William
Glen Nevis valley walk
↔ 6.1 km↑ +215 m◔ 3 hGPX readyA soft, broad valley beneath the bulk of Ben Nevis. River pools for tired feet, a hidden waterfall at the end, and no real climbing.
Serenity93Regenerative76Family-friendly82Joy & beauty90- Getting there
- Fort William is the trailhead. Bus N42 runs up Glen Nevis hourly in summer.
- Stays
- Glen Nevis Holidays cabins, or Achintee Farm guest house at the foot of Ben Nevis itself.
- Family notes
- Perfect first-day-of-trip walk. The wire bridge near Steall is optional — the viewpoint comes well before it.
Where to sleep
Stays, place by place.
Only places that exist on this trail, listed by the village you stop in. Some booking links earn us a small commission at no cost to you — they never change what we list or in what order.
Where to sleep
Stays in Milngavie
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Where to sleep
Stays in Milngavie
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Hotels
Hostels & Budget
West View Guest House
Budget B&B · start of the Way
Small walker-run guest house five minutes from the trailhead — hearty Scottish breakfast and boot storage.
Camping
Bankell Farm Campsite
Campsite · start of the Way
Quiet farm pitches with hot showers and a short walk to the Milngavie start — the calmest first night on the trail.
Quiet, trail-close places to rest. Always check current availability and conditions. Where we have no page for a specific house, the Booking.com button opens a search for that overnight town — labelled as such, never dressed up as a booked bed. Booking links may earn us a small commission at no cost to you.
Where to sleep
Stays in Drymen
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Where to sleep
Stays in Drymen
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Hotels
Winnock Hotel
End of Day 1 · Milngavie → Drymen
A warm old coaching inn on Drymen's green — log fires, hearty breakfasts and a five-minute walk back to the Way.
Hostels & Budget
Clachan Inn (budget rooms)
Budget base · Drymen village
Scotland's oldest licensed pub with simple upstairs rooms — cosy, walker-friendly and steps from the square.
Camping
Drymen Camping
Campsite · Drymen village
Small, family-run pitches on the edge of the village — a clean, quiet stop after a gentle first day.
Quiet, trail-close places to rest. Always check current availability and conditions. Where we have no page for a specific house, the Booking.com button opens a search for that overnight town — labelled as such, never dressed up as a booked bed. Booking links may earn us a small commission at no cost to you.
Where to sleep
Stays in Balmaha
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Where to sleep
Stays in Balmaha
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Hotels
Oak Tree Inn
Loch Lomond gateway · after Conic Hill
Slate-roofed inn beside the loch — driftwood snug, local ales and a bench to watch the water quieten at dusk.
Hostels & Budget
Balmaha Bunkhouse
Budget base · Loch Lomond shore
Small bunkhouse behind the Oak Tree — clean four-bunk rooms, drying room and easy access back to the trail.
Camping
Cashel Forest Campsite
Campsite · Loch Lomond east shore
Forest-and-shore pitches run by Forestry Scotland just north of Balmaha — swim from the beach at sunrise.
Quiet, trail-close places to rest. Always check current availability and conditions. Where we have no page for a specific house, the Booking.com button opens a search for that overnight town — labelled as such, never dressed up as a booked bed. Booking links may earn us a small commission at no cost to you.
Where to sleep
Stays in Rowardennan
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Where to sleep
Stays in Rowardennan
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Hotels
Rowardennan Hotel
Loch-side base · foot of Ben Lomond
Classic loch-front hotel with a beer garden on the shingle — perfect for a slow supper after a shore-walking day.
Hostels & Budget
Rowardennan Youth Hostel
Loch Lomond shore · after Conic Hill
Loch-front SYHA lodge with a huge fireplace and a jetty — swim, dry your boots, watch the light move on Ben Lomond.
Camping
Sallochy Bay Campsite
Permit camp · Loch Lomond east shore
Forestry-managed lochside pitches (permit) just south of Rowardennan — the quietest wild-feel night on the loch.
Quiet, trail-close places to rest. Always check current availability and conditions. Where we have no page for a specific house, the Booking.com button opens a search for that overnight town — labelled as such, never dressed up as a booked bed. Booking links may earn us a small commission at no cost to you.
Where to sleep
Stays in Inverarnan
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Where to sleep
Stays in Inverarnan
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Hotels
Drovers Inn
Historic inn · Loch Lomond north end
Storied 1705 coaching inn with tartan snugs and stag heads — pure Highland folklore after a long shore day.
Hostels & Budget
Beinglas Farm Wigwams
Budget cabins · trailside farm
Warm wooden wigwams on the WHW at Beinglas — showers, drying room and a short stroll to the Drovers.
Camping
Beinglas Farm Campsite
Campsite · Loch Lomond north end
Legendary trailside farm — pitches, wooden wigwams and the Drovers Inn next door for a stew and a dram.
Quiet, trail-close places to rest. Always check current availability and conditions. Where we have no page for a specific house, the Booking.com button opens a search for that overnight town — labelled as such, never dressed up as a booked bed. Booking links may earn us a small commission at no cost to you.
Where to sleep
Stays in Crianlarich
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Where to sleep
Stays in Crianlarich
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Hotels
The Crianlarich Hotel
Rail-junction base · mid-Way
Warm village hotel at the West Highland Line junction — kind staff, hearty menu and easy shuttle back to the trail.
Hostels & Budget
Crianlarich Hostel (SYHA)
Budget base · village centre
Family-friendly SYHA hostel with private rooms and a drying room — a good mid-Way rest before Tyndrum.
Camping
Strathfillan Wigwam Village
Camp & wigwams · Auchtertyre farm
Working farm between Crianlarich and Tyndrum with pitches, wigwams and a tiny farm shop — kids love the sheep.
Quiet, trail-close places to rest. Always check current availability and conditions. Where we have no page for a specific house, the Booking.com button opens a search for that overnight town — labelled as such, never dressed up as a booked bed. Booking links may earn us a small commission at no cost to you.
Where to sleep
Stays in Tyndrum
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Where to sleep
Stays in Tyndrum
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Hotels
Real Food Café Rooms
Mid-way base · Tyndrum
Small, sustainable rooms above Scotland's most-loved trail café — perfect resupply, laundry and a huge plate of haddock.
Hostels & Budget
By The Way Hostel
Budget base · Tyndrum
Cheerful walker-run hostel with wooden trekker huts and a drying room — the calmest mid-Way bed for families on a budget.
Camping
Pine Trees Leisure Park
Campsite · Tyndrum village
Tidy pitches and simple pods beside the burn — steps from the Real Food Café for breakfast on the way out.
Quiet, trail-close places to rest. Always check current availability and conditions. Where we have no page for a specific house, the Booking.com button opens a search for that overnight town — labelled as such, never dressed up as a booked bed. Booking links may earn us a small commission at no cost to you.
Where to sleep
Stays in Bridge of Orchy
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Where to sleep
Stays in Bridge of Orchy
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Hotels
Bridge of Orchy Hotel
Quiet Highland base · midway to Rannoch
Handsome white-washed inn beside the River Orchy — walker-friendly bar, warm dining room and a station on the doorstep.
Hostels & Budget
Bridge of Orchy Bunkhouse
Budget bunks · behind the hotel
Compact bunkhouse with a shared kitchen — a clean, quiet budget option before the Rannoch crossing.
Camping
Bridge of Orchy Camping
Free-camp field · beside the station
Simple pitches beside the hotel and station — a quiet Highland night with the West Highland Line rumbling gently by.
Quiet, trail-close places to rest. Always check current availability and conditions. Where we have no page for a specific house, the Booking.com button opens a search for that overnight town — labelled as such, never dressed up as a booked bed. Booking links may earn us a small commission at no cost to you.
Where to sleep
Stays in Glencoe
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Where to sleep
Stays in Glencoe
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Hotels
Kingshouse Hotel
Iconic stop · foot of Rannoch Moor / Devil's Staircase
Restored trailside hotel under the Buachaille — dark-wood snug, red deer in the field, the most emotional bed on the Way.
Hostels & Budget
Kingshouse Bunkhouse
Budget bunks · attached to the hotel
Warm modern bunkrooms sharing the hotel's bar and drying room — the most soulful budget bed on the trail.
Camping
Kingshouse Wild Camping Area
Free camp · beside the hotel
Signposted free camping meadow across the burn — basic toilets, incredible sunsets on the Buachaille.
Quiet, trail-close places to rest. Always check current availability and conditions. Where we have no page for a specific house, the Booking.com button opens a search for that overnight town — labelled as such, never dressed up as a booked bed. Booking links may earn us a small commission at no cost to you.
Where to sleep
Stays in Kinlochleven
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Where to sleep
Stays in Kinlochleven
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Hotels
MacDonald Hotel
After the Devil's Staircase · loch-head base
Family-run loch-head hotel with a warm restaurant and mountain views — a soft landing after the day's biggest descent.
Hostels & Budget
Blackwater Hostel
After the Devil's Staircase · Kinlochleven
Small riverside hostel with private family rooms and campsite pitches — hot showers waiting after the hardest descent.
Camping
MacDonald Hotel Campsite
Campsite · loch-side, next to the hotel
Grassy loch-side pitches with modern facilities and a short walk to the bar — a kind end to Day 6.
Quiet, trail-close places to rest. Always check current availability and conditions. Where we have no page for a specific house, the Booking.com button opens a search for that overnight town — labelled as such, never dressed up as a booked bed. Booking links may earn us a small commission at no cost to you.
Where to sleep
Stays in Fort William
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Where to sleep
Stays in Fort William
Trail-close and calm — for walkers, friends, and families where the trail allows. Along West Highland Way.
Hotels
Cruachan Hotel
Journey's end · Fort William
Family-run guesthouse a short walk from the finish cairn — hot bath, whisky nightcap and easy transfers home.
Hostels & Budget
Fort William Backpackers
Budget base · finish town
Old-town backpackers with a wood-burning stove and a huge kitchen — the classic celebratory bed at the finish.
Camping
Glen Nevis Caravan & Camping Park
Trail-end camp · Fort William / Glen Nevis
Wide grassy pitches under Ben Nevis with a warm shower block — the softest finish before the Ben or the train home.
Quiet, trail-close places to rest. Always check current availability and conditions. Where we have no page for a specific house, the Booking.com button opens a search for that overnight town — labelled as such, never dressed up as a booked bed. Booking links may earn us a small commission at no cost to you.
Logistics
Getting there & back
Both ends of the Way are reachable without a car. We link the official operators and the national journey planner rather than copying timetables that change with the season — always check the day you walk.
To the start · Milngavie
Milngavie station is a short walk from the obelisk that marks the start, with frequent trains from Glasgow Queen Street and Glasgow Central.
Official travel guidanceFrom the finish · Fort William
Fort William has trains south to Glasgow and the Caledonian Sleeper to London, plus long-distance coaches. Book ahead in high summer.
Scottish Citylink coachesBuses along the Way
Most stage ends — Drymen, Balmaha, Rowardennan, Crianlarich, Tyndrum, Bridge of Orchy, Kinlochleven — are served by local or long-distance buses. Plan each hop on the national journey planner.
Traveline Scotland journey plannerBaggage transfer
Independent walkers commonly move their pack between stage ends and walk with a daypack. We list operators only where they publish their own service pages; prices and pick-up windows are theirs, not ours.
Travel-Lite baggage transferLinks go to the operators and journey planners themselves. Times, prices and seasonal gaps are theirs to publish and yours to check — we keep no timetable copies.
West Highland Way · 3 days combined
One .gpx · 3 numbered day tracks (D01…D03) · elevation on every point.
puresoul-west-highland-way-highlights-trip-3-days-YYYY-MM-DD.gpx
D01 · 4.9 km · +123 m
Conic Hill above Loch Lomond
puresoul-west-highland-way-segment-d01-conic-hill-above-loch-lomond-YYYY-MM-DD.gpx
D02 · 6.9 km · +23 m / −492 m
Devil's Staircase to Kinlochleven
puresoul-west-highland-way-segment-d02-devil-s-staircase-to-kinlochleven-YYYY-MM-DD.gpx
D03 · 6.1 km · +215 m
Glen Nevis valley walk
puresoul-west-highland-way-segment-d03-glen-nevis-valley-walk-YYYY-MM-DD.gpx
Every file mirrors the emerald ribbon on the map with zero drift · Garmin · Strava · Komoot · AllTrails · Gaia · OsmAnd. For offline map tiles, open a day-route below and tap Download GPX & Offline Maps.
Walk prepared
Trail Conditions Companion
Tell us what the path looks like — mud, snow, a washed-out bridge — or show a photo. You'll get plain hazard notes and a short packing list. Preparation guidance only, never turn-by-turn navigation.
What this page is
Free forever · and the honest edges.
Free, always
- Foot-routed GPX — full trip and every single day.
- Measured distance, ascent and elevation from the same line.
- Maps, waypoints and offline day packs.
- Soul Signature for every day, with its reasoning shown.
- No account, no paywall, no download limit.
Optional edges
- Booking links for the stays above may pay a small commission.
- We sell no tours, no flights, no rental cars and no packages — transport and beds stay yours to choose.
- A day whose line is not yet verified shows no download at all, rather than a file you might trust in the field.
- Live conditions, closures and weather stay with the local trail authority — this is a planning page, not a rescue service.