> Hike the northern half of the West Highland Way
> Sleep in simple, budget-friendly accommodations
> Luggage transfer included, walk light and enjoy the trail
From the peaceful glens around Tyndrum to the rugged landscapes of Glencoe and the final approach to Ben Nevis, the northern half of the West Highland Way shows Scotland at its wildest and most beautiful. This section of the trail packs moorland, mountain passes, and deep valleys into a shorter adventure.
This is our basic package for the 6-day (4 stages) northern part of the West Highland Way. You’ll stay in simple B&Bs, guesthouses, and hostels, with luggage transfer included so you can enjoy each stage with just your daypack. Accommodation in Tyndrum and Fort William before and after the trek is included, so everything is sorted from start to finish.
Please note: This trek includes simple, budget-friendly accommodation. One night is spent at Glencoe Mountain, where sleeping bags are provided and rented on site (included in the price). Pillows are not provided at this accommodation. If you want to make your trek more budget-friendly, contact our experts to exclude the luggage transfer and receive a 10% discount.
The walk from the little cluster of houses at Tyndrum feels like a relaxed wander between big mountains. Old tracks guide you north through a wide glen, with Ben Lui (1130 m) sliding behind and Beinn Dorain (1076 m) growing steadily larger in front. Trains and burns keep you company, and the sense of space grows with every step until the white buildings of Bridge of Orchy appear beside the river.
Leaving the village, follow the clear track past cottages and onto the old military road. It rises gently through grazing land and scattered trees, roughly 100 metres of steady climbing that soon rewards you with broad views back over Tyndrum. The route then rolls along a terrace above the railway, crossing burns on small bridges, with Beinn Dorain and Beinn an Dothaidh (1004 m) towering on the eastern side of the glen.
A gradual descent leads you between low knolls and down towards the sound of water. The first glimpse of the stone bridge and hotel comes just as the river bends. Cross to the far bank to reach the hotel, bunkhouse and roadside cottages, all tucked close together. It is an easy place to settle, with the river murmuring below and the hills you have walked beneath rising quietly all around.
From the stone bridge and white hotel beside the River Orchy you head towards one of the most atmospheric stretches of the Highlands. A short climb gives wide views over Loch Tulla, then the route commits to the long sweep across Rannoch Moor, with empty miles of rock and water all around. The rounded tops of the Black Mount and the pyramid of Buachaille Etive Mor (1022 m) close the horizon and gently pull you onward.
From the hotel a clear path climbs behind the buildings through birch and heather, rising about 170 metres to the knoll of Mam Carraigh with a last look back over the glen. A grassy track then drops steadily to Inveroran, where an inn and scattered trees sit at the head of Loch Tulla. Beyond the cottages you join the old military road, curving between the loch shore and stands of Caledonian pine.
Once fully on Rannoch Moor the track rises gently again, gaining around 250 metres as it threads between lochans and boulders, with distant peaks in every direction. After crossing Ba Bridge and a series of streams the path begins to descend, and the great bulk of Buachaille Etive Mor grows larger ahead. Eventually the first buildings of Kingshouse appear beside the river, with hotel, bunkhouse and campsite close together and easy to reach.
The day starts at the white buildings of Kingshouse, with Buachaille Etive Mor (1022 m) towering behind like a bodyguard. The path leads you steadily into the mouth of Glen Coe, where cliffs fold around the road and the Mamores wait in the distance. By the time you reach the high notch of the Devil’s Staircase, views stretch from Rannoch Moor to distant Ben Nevis (1345 m), before you drop towards the sea loch at Kinlochleven.
From the hotel a clear track heads past the river and joins the old military road beside the glen. You walk gently uphill, skirting boggy hollows and passing cairns as the cone of Stob Dearg falls behind. At the junction for the Devil’s Staircase the real climb begins, zigzagging roughly 250 metres up a stony slope to a pass of about 550 metres, where the Mamores line up like a sawblade and the first hints of Loch Leven appear.
The descent is long and easy to underestimate, dropping nearly 600 metres on rocky paths and grassy ribs. The track curves around the hillside, then plunges towards the glen, with the metal hydro pipes of Kinlochleven drawing you in. Woodland closes around you as you meet the river and follow streets into the village. Most guesthouses, hostel and campsite hug the road or sit close to the water, never far from a warm meal.
From the shore of Loch Leven you climb straight out of Kinlochleven into a high empty world. The old military road carries you along the wide bowl of the Lairigmor, with tumbled crofts and flanking ridges keeping you company. As you swing towards Glen Nevis the view suddenly fills with Ben Nevis (1345 m), a heavy grey wall at the end of the glen, drawing you down towards the streets and harbour of Fort William.
The path leaves Kinlochleven on steep lanes that quickly turn into a rocky track through birch and pine. A steady zigzag climb gains roughly 300 metres to a broad col, with Loch Leven falling away behind and the Mamores lined up to your left. From here the track settles into a gentler rhythm across the Lairigmor, passing streams, sheep pens and the ruined house of Tigh-na-sleubhaich, before curving between low hills towards the edge of the forestry above Glen Nevis.
Forest tracks and narrower paths now guide you along the hillside, offering growing views down the length of Glen Nevis. A long descent on stony paths drops around 400 metres to meet the road and river on the outskirts of town. Follow pavements and waymarks past houses and shops into the centre of Fort William, where hotels, hostels and guesthouses cluster close together, and it is blissfully easy to find food, a shower and somewhere to sleep.
After breakfast, the journey comes to an end. Our package finishes here. Wishing you a safe and smooth trip home.
