Dates
We do offer private and bespoke group trips on all our treks and walking holidays. These can start on any date of your choosing, with a minimum of 4 people.
Please contact us with your preferred dates and accommodation, along with your group size.
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View Package PricesSaturday10 April 2027Sunday18 April 2027
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View Package PricesSaturday22 May 2027Sunday30 May 2027
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View Package PricesSaturday11 September 2027Sunday19 September 2027
Overview
The West Highland Way is the most famous and perhaps best loved long distance walking route in Scotland. It is 96 miles/154km in length and begins in Milngavie (on the edge of Glasgow) and ends in Fort William.
It’s an incredibly diverse trail which explores some of the best scenery Scotland has to offer. From mountains and lochs, to moorland and farmland, the West Highland Way trek really does have it all.
Highlights of the West Highland Way
- Walking over Conic Hill giving fantastic views of Loch Lomond.
- Crossing the impressive Rannoch Moor to the base of the imposing Buachaille Etive Mor.
- Mountainous scenery of Lochaber and Glencoe from the top of the Devil’s Staircase.
- Finishing in the shadow of Scotland’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis.
Itinerary
Each day, you will be guided along the West Highland Way by your qualified and friendly walking guide, and all the logistics of your trek will be managed by your trek manager, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience.
We will be with you from the moment you set off in the morning to the moment you arrive at your accommodation in the evening. You will only need to carry your day bag, with essentials to keep you warm, dry, fed, and hydrated for the day. Your main luggage will be transported to your next accommodation for you.
Everything will be taken care of so that you can just enjoy the walking!
Today is the day we will all make our way to Milngavie to begin our West Highland Way adventure. In the evening, you will get a chance to meet the rest of your group, as well as your guides, for a welcome evening and briefing. This will be in a local pub/restaurant where you will have the option of an evening meal.
Accommodation in or near Milngavie
This is the first day of walking, where the trip really begins. In the morning, you will be met by your guides, who will help you make any car parking arrangements and collect lunch supplies before making your way to the start.
We will start by walking out of the urban area of Milngavie, leaving hectic town-life behind us. We will make our way through the tranquil woodlands of Mugdock Country Park, before walking along the west side of Craigallan Loch, a popular spot for local fishermen and with a place in walking and climbing history.
For much of the rest of the day we will gain views over the Campsie Fells before eventually reaching Drymen for our first stop, which is just off the trail itself (2/3 of a mile into Drymen).
Distance: 12 miles (19 km)
Total ascent: 250m
Time: 5.5-6.5 hours
Accommodation in or near Drymen
Today we will be walking to Rowardennan with highlights of the day including the walking over Conic Hill.
From the top, the islands on Loch Lomond can be seen in a straight line, following the Highland Boundary Fault Line. From here we will be walking through the village of Balmaha and will be spending much of the rest of the day following the wooded shores of Loch Lomond until we reach Rowardennan.
Once there you will be transferred back to Drymen for a second night.
Distance: 15 miles (24 km)
Total ascent: 640m
Time: 7.5-9 hours hours
Accommodation in or near Drymen
First we will return to Rowardennan, where you finished your walk the day before. Today is a surprisingly tough section of the walk due to the nature of the trail underfoot.
It begins on excellent tracks from the car park at the foot of the famous Ben Lomond. We will then be following an undulating forestry track through the beautiful woods, giving views to both Loch Lomond and the nearby mountains of the Arrochar Alps, including the distinctive summit of The Cobbler.
Rocks and roots and ups and downs make this a physically demanding day, especially after lunch. Careful footwork is required and often people find this the toughest section of the whole trail. As the day draws to an end, we will reach Inverarnan, from where you will be driven to your accommodation for the night.
Distance: 14 miles (22.5 km)
Total ascent: 700m
Time: 8-9 hours
Accommodation in Crianlarich, Tyndrum or Inverarnan
After a tough day yesterday, today should feel much easier. We will pick you up from your accommodation and drive you back to Inverarnan, where we will begin.
Today we will be walking to Tyndrum. This section should take us around 6 hours to complete and is on good paths and sections of the Old Military Road.
Highlights of today include walking through ancient woodlands, getting a glimpse of the Falls of Falloch, and passing the halfway mark on the trail. We will be following beautiful rivers and learning about the history of the area, such as at the site of the Battle of Dal Righ and the remains of St Fillan’s Church.
It is a day of great variety, with some easier walking, and you will feel inspired by the prospect of Rannoch Moor and Glen Coe tomorrow.
Distance: 12 miles (19 km)
Total ascent: 490m
Time: 5.5-6.5 hours
Accommodation in Crianlarich, Tyndrum or Inverarnan
Today is the longest day of your trek and we will be walking to the famous Glen Coe. However, it can easily be the best day of the entire trip. We will be walking for most of the day on very good paths, and we will get glorious views over Loch Tulla and the Black Mount mountains.
The second half of the day is when the adventure really begins as we tackle the most famous part of the walk, Rannoch Moor. Rannoch Moor can be one of two things depending on the weather: a beautiful expanse that stretches out below craggy mountains, or a truly wild place exposed to whatever the Scottish weather has in store. Either way it is a part of the walk you will never forget.
Rannoch Moor is 50 square miles of peat bog and lochans surrounded by magnificent mountains. We will be walking along the parliamentary road which is firm underfoot and will allow us to make the most of this incredible area. As we reach the end of this section we will be greeted by views of the iconic Buachaille Etive Mòr as we head into Glen Coe.
Distance: 18 miles (29 km)
Total ascent: 650m
Time: 8-9 hours
Accommodation in or near Kinlochleven
With our tired legs from the day before, we will have a shorter day to look forward to as we walk from Glencoe to Kinlochleven.
Our highlights will include the famous ascent of the ominously named ‘Devil’s Staircase’. It is a 260m climb, but once at the top we will get incredible views over the Glen Coe mountains and the Blackwater Reservoir. It is not as bad as the name suggests, and you will be atop the rise before you know it.
We will then begin our descent down into the village of Kinlochleven. It is a long descent, but once down you will be able to walk straight into your accommodation, which is usually within the village itself.
Distance: 10 miles (16 km)
Total ascent: 430m
Time: 5-6 hours
Accommodation in or near Kinlochleven
The last day of our journey!
Today we will be walking to Fort William, where we will find the official end of the West Highland Way.
We will start by ascending through the woods above Kinlochleven. With the most strenuous part of the day out of the way, we will follow the old military road, gaining stunning views of the nearby mountains.
Today we will see Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland, and get fantastic views of Glen Nevis too. Then you will finally walk into Fort William itself, tired but happy in the knowledge that you have completed your West Highland Way journey – an achievement not to be underestimated!
Distance: 15 miles (24km)
Total ascent: 650m
Time: 6-7 hours
Accommodation in or near Fort William
Today is departure day and time to say our goodbyes.
There are convenient train and bus links from Fort William directly to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, or Skye.
What's Included?
The cost includes
- Accommodation for 8 nights (breakfast included on B&B package)
- 7 days guided walking
- Qualified UK Mountain Leader as your guide
- Route map
- Luggage transfers
- Support vehicle
- West Highland Way Information Pack
- Training advice
- Maximum group size of 12
Not included in our packages
- Lunches, snacks and dinners
- Arrival and departure transport
Accommodation Options
Bed & Breakfast
The Bed and Breakfast option provides good standard accommodation, with cooked or continental breakfast included in the price of the holiday.
The B&Bs we use are located in small towns or villages, giving you access to local shops and a choice of pubs, ensuring plenty of opportunities for an evening meal. In areas where no B&Bs are available or where facilities such as shops and pubs are lacking, we will drive you to a nearby village to ensure a better overall experience.
Hostel
We also offer a hostel package for this trek. You will be in B&B accommodation on the first and last nights with 6 nights in hostels in between.
You will have a bed in a shared dorm (these may be mixed) when staying in a hostel, and a twin room share with another member of our group (of the same sex) on the two B&B nights.
Camping
We offer a camping option for those who want to get closer to nature. Your first night (arrival night in Milngavie) and your last night (the night before departure in Fort William) will be in B&B accommodation. For the rest of the trek, you will be camping at local campsites, allowing you to truly escape the modern world.
You will need to provide your own tent and camping equipment, ensuring you use gear that is familiar to you. However, all equipment will be transported for you, so there is no need to carry it on the walk.
You may wish to bring a cooking stove so you can have a hot drink in the morning and/or to cook your evening meals on-site (campsites may be a further from the local pubs than the B&Bs).
Although the campsites are small and remote, they all have toilet and shower facilities, with some also offering drying rooms and washing machines.
FAQs
This trek is graded 3/5 on our trekking scale.
A good, challenging trek for the average walker. The terrain will include hills and rougher paths, and there will be some challenging longer days. It should be achievable for a person of good general fitness and determination.
The West Highland Way is many walkers' first long-distance trek and it provides a useful midline on our difficulty scale.
To help you decide if this trip is right for you, please also refer to the itinerary, which includes daily distances, ascent, and detailed descriptions of the terrain.
You can read more about our grading system in our Trip Difficulty Guide.
Please note: all long-distance walking is challenging, particularly if you are not used to walking/exercising on consecutive days. What makes a trek challenging is personal and depends on your fitness, strengths, and preferences.
Don’t forget to read through our itinerary for a day-by-day plan of the West Highland Way route. However, we also like to give everyone a real insight to what this trek can offer them. You may have noticed that the West Highland Way often features in lists of the best treks in the world, this is for many reasons.
The landscapes and scenery on the West Highland Way are diverse. You start on the high street of the town of Milngavie, walk along Loch Lomond and view countless mountains along the trail. But this mixture of highland and lowland scenery is only one factor in the West Highland Way’s popularity.
Scotland is a country of great history and culture, which you will experience throughout the route. You will walk past the field of the Battle of Dalrigh, where King Robert I of Scotland (Robert the Bruce) fought against the Clan MacDougall of Argyll. Get views of Blackwater Reservoir, the longest dam in the highlands. Construction of which began in 1904 and resulted in the loss of life of a number of the workers building it. You can also experience great highland hospitality, try the local whiskeys and eat excellent local produce. Experience all this and more while trekking on a mixture of paths. Many are excellent quality tracks, originally old military roads. Others are meandering lochside trails, where a bit more concentration is needed.
This is just a small selection of the reasons why people from Scotland, the rest of the UK, and all over the world choose to trek The West Highland Way.
We have had a great variety of people successfully enjoy the West Highland Way. Our customers have a mix of age ranges and abilities, which is what makes this trail so special. From long distance first timers to very experienced walkers both young and old, this trail has something for everyone.
While you don’t need long-distance walking experience you will need a reasonable level of fitness and determination to help you get to the finish. The fitter you are the more enjoyable the experience. After booking you can opt in to our ‘Training for the Trails’ mailing list to help you arrive prepared for your trek.
You can either drive to Milngavie, where many walkers will leave their cars for the duration of the trek, or by public transport. There is a frequent rail service from Glasgow to Milngavie.
For all our accommodation options you will usually be staying for 1 night in Milngavie, 2 nights in Drymen, 2 nights in Crianlarich (Beinglas and Tyndrum for the camping option), 2 nights in Kinlochleven and then your final night in Fort William.
This gives you the advantage of not having to repack every day while still getting to experience lots of the different villages on the trail. Whilst we cannot guarantee this is where you will be staying each night this is certainly the experience most of our customers receive.
Milngavie – a large town with a supermarket (which has a cash machine) and a number of pubs. It also has a tourist information shop that sells a very small selection of outdoor equipment, useful if you forget something!
Drymen – a small village but has a good selection of places to eat from traditional pubs to hotels including the Clachan Inn, the Drymen Inn and the Winnock Hotel. It also has a small shop where you can get lunch and snacks and also a cash machine.
Crianlarich – a very small village with the Rod and Reel as its only pub. There is also a restaurant at the hotel which sometimes takes reservations for non-residents. The Crianlarich Store is in the village for snacks and lunches with an ATM for cash.
Kinlochleven – slightly bigger than Drymen or Crianlarich. Kinlochleven has 3 good places to eat; The Tailrace Inn, The Macdonald Hotel or the Highland Getaway (plus the 'Rice & Chips' take-away). It also has a well-stocked shop for snacks and lunches.
Fort William – a large town, with everything you would expect. It has a great variety of pubs, restaurants and takeaways, as well as a supermarket and a selection of smaller shops. It also has a large number of outdoor clothing and equipment shops as well as a chemist, gift shops, cafés and banks.
You will be provided with a full kit list, but as a guide the basics you will need are:
A small rucksack (around 25 litres), walking boots, waterproof trousers, waterproof jacket, hat, gloves, a spare warm layer and walking trousers (not jeans or denim), a water bottle, sun and midge protection.
With Thistle Trekking you get a personal service. We are happy to answer any questions and queries and help where we can with all aspects of your trip.
Your point of contact will be the same person from the first enquiry to the final communication before your West Highland Way trek.
Our guides are all qualified, experienced, and fun companions on the trail.
What our walkers said about their West Highland Way trek
I really enjoyed the trip, it was exactly as I expected and wanted – everything organised for me and just the walking to concentrate on. Thank you for a great week away.
Rosie T
The trip was very well organized without any pressure being put upon the party. Overall price of the trip represented excellent value for money.
Roger M
I had a fantastic time on the trek. It was so well organised and exactly what I expected. We were well looked after by Dan, our leader, and David, our trek manager. They provided lots of information about the trek and also lots of encouragement when we were on our way. The whole week went very smoothly and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Marilyn
Dates
We do offer private and bespoke group trips on all our treks and walking holidays. These can start on any date of your choosing, with a minimum of 4 people.
Please contact us with your preferred dates and accommodation, along with your group size.
-
View Package PricesSaturday10 April 2027Sunday18 April 2027
-
View Package PricesSaturday22 May 2027Sunday30 May 2027
-
View Package PricesSaturday11 September 2027Sunday19 September 2027
