Scotland - West Highland Way (NoBo) - Venture
Scotland - West Highland Way (NoBo) - Venture
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Summary
Summary
A 108 mile route (96 if you just follow the official trail) that follows the West Highland Way from south to north (Nobo) and completed over a 9 days camping trek. Starts at the town of Mulgavie on the northern outskirts of Glasgow, before heading across a pretty rural landscape to Loch Lomond. Climbs Conic Hill for delightful views of Loch Lomond before following its bonnie banks northwards. Includes an out-and-back (with wildcamp) near to the summit of Ben Lomond providing exceptional views of the loch. Continues to the end of the loch on an awkward, but interesting path. Follows the dramatic glens of Falloch and Fillan to the frontier feeling town of Tyndrum. After crossing the pretty Bridge Of Orchy the trail crosses the western edge of Rannoch Moor using General Wade's military road, which includes another remote wildcamp. The trail then takes on epic proportions as it climbs the Devil's Staircase, with views across to Buachaille Etive Mor and down the Pass Of Glencoe, before descending into the village of Kinlochleven. Some more military road marching takes you through a high glen to Glen Nevis and the foot of Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis. If the weather is good, you may want to spend a day conquering its summit, before continuing the West Highland Way on its final leg to Fort William.
Notes
Notes
Most people complete the West Highland Way from south to north. I chose to walk it south to north because I intended walking the Great Glen Way (Fort William to Inverness) afterwards. NoBo offers you the option to climb Ben Nevis as a finale to the trail . It also gives you the feeling of trekking from a rural lowland landscape into a remote highland one.
The trail is very busy compared to other trails. You will inevitably share your time with many other walkers, and a lot of them being international. This makes the trail seem almost like an international trek. Despite walking through vast and remote landscapes, people never seem to be that far away.
A lot of people use baggage transfers between stages, even the campers. This is a great option if you don't want to haul your gear with you. There are decent campsites along the trail, but there are good opportunities for wildcamping too (I included two: Ben Lomond and Rannoch Moor). If you intend to wildcamp, be aware of the restrictions on certain sections of the trail during peak season (1st March to 30th September). It is possible to buy a permit to camp in some of these areas during this period. If you don't want to camp, then there are plenty of options for staying at hotels and B&Bs, although availability will reduce during peak periods.
There are a few honesty boxes and water taps on parts of the route, but these shouldn’t be relied upon for the whole trail (more prevalent in the early stages). I found opportunities to filter water once I was beyond Drymen. There are a couple of cafes on that first day, but it is worth carrying a day's worth of water if you don't intend to stop at them. The campsites usually have shops with limited supplies. Large places such as Milngavie, Tyndrum and Kinlochleven have retailers for most of a walker’s needs. There are quite a few cafes and inns along the trail and so it is reasonably easy to get a half decent meal if you don’t want to fuel your journey with Firepots.
I used the Trailblazer West Highland Way trail guide. It has sketch maps of the trail and very useful trail information. I saw some walkers using Harvey's West Highland Way map. I didn't have one, but have found their format very good for this sort of trail. The route is well signed and it is difficult (although not impossible) to go wrong. I did download the gpx routes onto my phone, but it was very rare that I used these for actual route finding.
I decided to wildcamp below the summit of Ben Lomond on the second day. I had hoped to continue to the top on the third day, but decided that it would have made a long, hard day. Others fitter than me may decide that is still a preferable option. Others less fit than me might question the stupidity of all that ascent away from the West Highland Way trail. That is an excellent point. If your only objective is to follow the trail then it would be better to walk beyond the Camping Management Zone at Rowardennan and find a suitable spot to wildcamp.
Rather than complete the West Highland Way on the walk from Kinlochleven, I dropped down into Glen Nevis and camped at the campsite instead. The next day I climbed Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles which is on the campsite's doorstep. The mountain is not officially on the West Highland Way route, but if the Gods are kind to you, and its summit is clear of cloud, it would be a shame to miss this walk with its exceptional views. This does make the final walk into Fort William to complete the West Highland Way quite short, but it is worth it for the marvellous memories you'll acquire when climbing the Ben.
Click on the above map for an interactive map of the routes in this Venture. Use the toggle slider to display the specific routes that you want to see on the map.
The Trails Map (dropdown, top right) is the best free map for displaying footpaths and topography. Expand to full screen (cross arrows, top right) to see route detail. Ordnance Survey maps can be used with a small subscription to Plotaroute.
See the Captain's Log of individual days for details of GPX Downloads, Plotaroute Maps and Map/Directions PDF.
Duration: 9 days (including wildcamp near the summit of Ben Lomond and an ascent of Ben Nevis)
Date: 22/04/2025-30/04/2025
Overall Length: 107.82 miles (about 95 miles if you don't do the Ben Lomond and Ben Nevis diversions)
Overall Height Gain: 5856m (inclusive of Ben Nevis ascent <1335m> and wildcamp near summit of Ben Lomond <552m>)
Route: Milngavie, Ben Lomond, Tyndrum, Rannoch Moor, Kinlochleven, Glen Nevis, Fort William
Day 1 - Milngavie To Drymen Campsite
Join a plethora of other walkers on the start of the West Highland Way at Milngavie. Relatively easy first day following woodland trails and rural pathways. Admire the crags on the impressive Dumgoyne and stop for tea and cakes at Turnip The Beet. Drops in at the twee village of Gartness. Wonderful start to the Highland classic trail.
Day 2 - Drymen Campsite To Ben Lomond (Wildcamp Below Summit)
After yesterday’s rural landscape introduction to the West Highland Way, the second day feels like entering the front door to the Highlands. Stunning views over Loch Lomond from Conic Hill and the slopes of Ptarmigan Hill. Enjoyable forest trails with epic panoramas across the loch.
Day 3 - Ben Lomond (Wildcamp Below Summit) To Beinglas
Probably the toughest day on the West Highland Way. A long stretch along the northern end of Loch Lomond by way of an awkward and sometimes chaotic path. The incredible views across and along the loch more than make up for this inconvenience. Refreshments are available at the Inversnaid hotel if you need to re-energise yourself. Finish the day at the excellent Beinglas campsite and a beer from their bar.
Day 4 - Beinglas To Tyndrum
Walk along Glen Falloch with lovely views of the River Falloch. Climb up to a panoramic viewpoint above Crianlarich. Plod through Tree Troubler territory (some of it nuked), before descending to a pleasing ramble through agricultural land. Visits the remains of St Fillan’s priory and the unusual raised burial ground at Kirkton. Enter Tyndrum which has a feel of a frontier town, with its logging lorries, wide high street, accommodation for travellers, a few cafes, a railway station and a supermarket with eye watering prices.
Day 5 - Tyndrum To Ba Bridge
Leaves the frontier town of Tyndrum and heads northwards along the feet of some giant hills to the impeccably pretty Bridge Of Orchy. The A82, railway line and what seems like civilisation, is left behind as the West Highland Way makes its way around the west end of Loch Tulla and then on to the Drove Road on the western edge of Rannoch Moor. Those wanting wilderness and remoteness will find satisfaction here. Finish the day with a wildcamp in a location that is almost guaranteed not to be disturbed by nearby snorers.
Day 6 - Ba Bridge To Kinlochleven
A short plod from the wildcamp on Rannoch Moor delivers you to the Kingshouse Hotel where you can replenish your energy levels with a hearty vegetarian breakfast. After sufficient rest, you will tackle the Devil’s Staircase to reach the highest point on the West Highland Way at 548m. Incredible views of Buachaille Etive Mor (The Great Shepherd) and the Pass Of Glencoe. Ben Nevis can even be seen from the top. This all assumes that it isn’t misty of course. A long descent on a good trail to the pretty village of Kinlochleven where many information boards tell you about its industrial and cultural heritage.
Day 7 - Kinlochleven To Glen Nevis
A stiff climb out of Kinlochleven allows great views across to the Aonoch Eagach ridge and down Loch Leven to the Pap Of Glencoe. Join the Old Military Road for easy walking along a glen south of the massive Mamores. Visit the vitrified iron age fort of Dun Deardail that also offers stunning views into Glen Nevis and across to Ben Nevis. Descend along forestry roads to Glen Nevis and finish at its well provisioned campsite. Enjoy a beer, to celebrate effectively, although not officially, completing the West Highland Way.
Day 8 - Ben Nevis Tourist Route (Optional)
An ascent of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles. Follow the tourist path up to the summit plateau. Spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and lochs. Admire the fearsome north face of Ben Nevis. Take a wander over the rocky summit plateau to have a look at the Carn Mor Dearg arete. Make sure you do this when the Ben is free from cloud (30% of the time) for the best experience.
Day 9 - Glen Nevis To Fort William
A nice, easy stroll from Glen Nevis to the finish of the West Highland Way in Fort William. Visit the Wishing Stone and it will spin you an answer for any question that you may ask (as long as it is spinning at the time). Delightful views of Loch Linnhe and Loch Eil from the flanks of Cow Hill. Sit on the bench next to the statue of the weary walker and contemplate those glorious hundred odd miles you’ve walked since Milngavie.
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