West Highland Way: The Highlands

Crianlarich to Inveroran

With typical highland walking in glens and over low passes with moderate ascents and descents, on mainly well surfaced paths and tracks. There are many fine mountain views to be enjoyed today.

Inveroran to Kinlochleven

A moderate to hard day with amazing scenery. The terrain is mainly good underfoot but highly exposed and can be difficult in bad weather – be prepared!

Kinlochleven to Fort William

Starting with a steep climb out of Kinlochleven followed by rough paths in Nevis Forest, your final day finishes with a gentle descent into Fort William.

Moderate to Challenging

This is the more challenging part of the WHW, inlcuding the remote wilderness of Rannoch Moor and high moutain passes on the last 2 days. Thousands of regular walkers complete the WHW every year – but remember this is a challenging route passing through remote and mountainous terrain. There are some longer days too. This is a route for experienced walkers.

Terrain: Starting in the Valley bottom, followed by remote moorland, and high mountain passes.

What’s it like underfoot? The route is generally well maintained but there are sections where the going is rougher, and others where it can get muddy.

How Much Up & Down? The 2 biggest climbs – 500m up the Devils’ Staircase, and 700m out of Kinlochleven, are saved for the final 2 days.

Signposting: Good.

Navigation: Signposting is good and the route follows well defined paths, so no particular difficulties. But there are sections of remote wilderness (Rannoch Moor), and higher mountain terrain (where you may be in the mist on a bad day) so you need to be able to navigate – these aren’t places you want to get lost.

Weather: Some people complete the whole route in fine weather, but most will encounter at least some rain, and possibly hill fog on the higher ground. Early or late in the season hail or snow are possibilities. Good clothing and waterproofs absolutely essential, even if you end up not needing them too often.

Good accommodation and friendly hosts are an essential part of any holiday. We understand this and go out of our way to find the best. We put a great deal of effort into hand picking our accommodation and matching it to individual customer requirements. As well as visiting the accommodation ourselves, we ask all our customers to complete a short evaluation on each night’s accommodation, which then gives us an insight into the day-to-day operation and lets us spot any potential issues before they become a problem.

We use a variety of accommodation. Over the course of your trip you might stay in a village inn, a bed and breakfast in a converted barn, a Victorian guest house, or on a working farm. In selecting the accommodation we look for helpful, friendly hosts with good quality, characterful accommodation close to the trail. Occasionally we may use a chain hotel.

We always try to arrange en suite accommodation, i.e. rooms with their own bathrooms for each night of your stay. However, in some of the more remote locations accommodation is limited and occasionally we may have to book rooms with shared bathrooms for one or two nights of your holiday, (especially if the booking is made at short notice), but we will always let you know if this is likely to be the case.

We are happy to book single rooms on our holidays but cannot normally book more than two for any one group. Single room bookings include a supplement.

Here are some examples of the accommodation we use along the West Highland Way:

The Inveroran Hotel

The Inveroran Hotel is an old Inn on the old drovers trail that is now known at the West Highland Way. The small bar is full of character and a great place to meet, chat and exchange stories with other walkers. A characterful Scottish Inn, in spectacular surroundings.

Visit their website at: www.inveroran.com

Ashbank B&B

Ashbank is a really cosy guest house run by a lovely and welcoming couple who do all they can to make your stay an enjoyable one. In the beautiful village of Drymen and not far from the pub, Ashbank is a popular choice for walkers. You will be sure to get an excellent breakfast and enjoy your stay in this delightful B&B.

Visit their website at: www.ashbank-drymen.co.uk

The Kings House Hotel

Possibly one of Scotland’s oldest Inns, The Kings House is in a very remote location in the Highlands. It has provided respite for travellers for centuries, offering shelter from the elements and rest from their journeys. You will appreciate the comfortable accommodation, hearty meals and delicious breakfasts.

Visit their website at: www.kingshousehotel.co.uk

General travel information on the West Highland Way area will be in your holiday pack including train and bus timetables where available.

Detailed instructions on getting to your first night’s accommodation by car, or on foot from the nearest train or bus station, will also be included in the holiday pack on individual accommodation maps.

To view train times please visit trainline where you can also purchase tickets in advance. For information on bus timetables please visit traveline

If you require secure car parking whilst walking this route, please contact us for information.

Getting There: Crianlarich
By Air: The nearest international airport is Glasgow (GLA). There is a regular shuttle bus into Glasgow city centre (approx 25 mins). From Glasgow you can travel by train to Crianlarich (CNR) – 57 miles, approximately 2 hours.
By Public Transport: There is a railway station in Crianlarich; most services will pass through Glasgow.
By Road: Crianlarich is 57 miles north of Glasgow. For Glasgow, travel on the M6 north followed by the A74 (M). From Glasgow, follow this sequence of roads: A81, A804, M8, M898, 1898, A82, A85.

Returning from Fort William:
By Public Transport: Fort William has a railway station. Most services will pass through Glasgow (GLA).
By Road: Head for either Glasgow (107 miles) or Edinburgh (136 miles) depending on the direction of your final destination.

Crianlarich

The name Crianlarich comes from the Gaelic for low pass. In the 1750s two military roads met here. Crianlarich makes a good location for a “rest day” in order to travel along the picturesque West Highland Train Line to visit Oban – a coastal resort with a difference - the town and its bay are virtually land-locked, giving it a sheltered setting. For memorable views walk up Oban Hill to McCaig's Tower or take a walk to Ganavan Sands and relax on the beach.

Fort William

Fort William is the capital of the West Highlands, situated at the head of Loch Linnhe. It’s not the prettiest of towns, but there are a good number of shops, and some good outdoor stores to browse around or buy new gear. A lot of people take an extra day here to climb Ben Nevis – Britain’s highest mountain (1344m / 4409ft). It’s a long day, and the weather can be harsh, so make sure you are fit and prepared!