The West Highland Way Experience, by Gwendolyn

The West Highland Way Experience, by Gwendolyn
The West Highland Way Experience, by Gwendolyn
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I walked the West Highland Way, or Slighe na Gaidhealtacha on Iar, in Scottish Gaelic, a 154km trail in April 2023 with Bookatrekking. It was one of my first solo hiking trips, and because I had no experience carrying a heavy backpack, I decided to book luggage transfer and walk from hotel to hotel. Overall, it was very well-organized, and every day, it was transported on time to the next destination. For the trail, you can decide the difficulty based on your level of experience. I took the 'intermediate level package', where you walk in 6 days from Milngavie near Glasgow to Fort William. For hiking, this means a minimum of 5 hours (15 km, incl breaks) and a maximum of 8.5 hours (31 km, incl. breaks) per day.
West Highland Way 11283
West Highland Way 11283

The charm of Scotland

Walking through the countryside of Scotland is a great experience. After the lively streets of Glasgow, the trail starts in the open fields where you are surrounded by silence, walk through forests, over hills, and next to beautiful lakes. You immediately relax. Along the way, you pass a few guesthouses or pubs with the possibility to warm up, enjoy a homemade soup, or drink a pint of beer with fellow hikers. Accommodations are clean, have typical countryside style decoration, and are cozy with friendly hosts. In the morning, you can enjoy some truly lovely views from some of them. Two places I can recommend getting some food at are at the Inveroran Hotel (near Bridge of Orchy) and the Oaktree Inn (near Balmaha).
The charm of Scotland
The charm of Scotland
Another thing that's very cool about Scotland is that the area you walk through is full of stories and traditions. For example, the trail passes famous locations of the Scottish hero 'Robert the Bruce' (also known from the movie Braveheart). At Dairigh, a small town after Inveroran, for example, legends claim that Robert's Sword, the Claymore, was thrown into a nearby loch after his defeat. It might still be down there after 300 years…
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West Highland Way 11289

Some of my favorite moments of the West Highland Way

  • The views on Loch Lomond from Cronic Hill on day 2 of the trail. Right after the village of Drymen, you will have the perfect place to stop for lunch or simply have a break.
  • Sleeping in a pod (hobbit house) near Kingshouse on day 6. It was a little bit cold at the beginning of April, but the environment of this accommodation right in the Highlands is awesome. Make sure, though, to arrive in time, as the kitchen of the only restaurant in the area closes around 6.30 pm.
Some of my favorite moments of the West Highland Way
Some of my favorite moments of the West Highland Way
  • The devil's staircases sound challenging, but after a bit of climbing on the stairs, I enjoyed the spectacular views. This is also a perfect spot to have some whiskey if you carried some with you 😉
  • Arriving at Ben Nevis (the highest mountain of Scotland), which is also the end point of the trail. I celebrated this moment with some fellow hikers I met during the trail at a nice pub called "the black Isle Bar". If you have energy left, I can highly recommend climbing Ben Nevis the next day if the weather allows it. In 6-8 hours, you climb 1340 meters up and down.
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    West Highland Way 11286

    Why you should do the West Highland Way

    Scotland is a fantastic country if you like to hike through some rough landscapes with high and lowlands. The people you meet on the trail and the owners of the B&Bs or Hotels you stay in, are very friendly, and the local pubs feel like cozy living rooms where I felt comfortable after spending a long day outside. What’s more, many accommodations, you can order fresh salmon directly from the wells of the highlands. I recommend trying it!
    Why you should do the West Highland Way
    Why you should do the West Highland Way
    As the country is well known for, the weather is unpredictable. You should be able to withstand rain and constantly changing weather. In my opinion, that's part of what makes the highland so charming.
    West Highland Way 11290
    West Highland Way 11290
    My biggest tip: take your time and look backwards once in a while. Talk to people along the way and enjoy the hike. If you’d like to explore more of Scotland, there’s also the Great Glen Way, a direct continuation of the West Highland Way. This 120km route starts in Fort William and ends in Inverness.
    West Highland Way 11287
    West Highland Way 11287

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