West Highland Way: The Lowlands and Lochs

Milngavie to Drymen

The route starts in Milngavie, a suburb of Glasgow. It travels across rolling hills and lowland plains. This is an easy pleasant walk along the valleys of Blane and Endrick with good views of the hills.

Drymen to Rowardennan

The route continues with a mixture of good woodland paths, moderate gradients on Conic Hill and hillside tracks as the path skirts the Campsie Fells. There are great views of Loch Lomond and its islands, before the path descends to the shoreline, which is followed to Rowardennan, at the foot of Ben Lomond.

Rowardennan to Crianlarich

Today is mainly rugged walking over loch side rocks and tree roots with some scrambling. As well as the views of the loch, islands, and woodlands, there are glimpses of the Cobbler, a spectacular mountain across the loch, and later waterfalls and rapids along Glen Falloch.

Moderate to Challenging

This is the easier part of the WHW, and doesn't include the more serious mountain terrain further along the route. It still includes a tough, long day from Rowardennan along the side of Loch Lomond – so you need a degree of experience, fitness and stamina.

Terrain: Varied – lowland meadows, foothills, wooded loch paths.

What’s it like underfoot? The first part of the route is generally well maintained but there are sections where the going is rougher and others where it can get muddy. The side is Loch Lomond is infamous for its difficult tree roots.

How Much Up & Down? Up to 500m a day.

Signposting: Good.

Navigation: Pretty straightforward – good paths and signposting – but keep you map and guidebook handy.

Weather: Some people complete the whole route in fine weather, but most will encounter at least some rain. 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 on the West Highland Way:

Ashbank Bed and Breakfast, hosted by Mhairi and Tommy, is located in the picturesque village of Drymen, within Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. As the first stop on the West Highland Way, Ashbank offers warm Scottish hospitality, a restful night’s sleep, and access to the idyllic Loch Lomond. Visit their website

Nestled on the northern banks of Loch Lomond, the Ardlui Hotel provides a tranquil retreat in the heart of The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Owned by the Squires family since 1959, this popular hotel exudes a homely atmosphere, and as a Whisky Ambassador hotel, offers an extensive selection of Scottish whiskies. Visit their website

Set against the dramatic backdrop of Glencoe, the Kingshouse Hotel offers a warm Highland welcome to adventurers and sightseers alike. As a much anticipated resting spot on the West Highland Way, it caters to avid walkers with comfortable beds, hearty locally-sourced meals, and an array of beers and single malts.  Visit their website

Allt na Leven, a family-run guest house in the heart of Kinlochleven, offers a welcoming stay in a beautifully renovated property. Backing onto the River Leven and surrounded by mountain views, it’s close to the local pubs, and restaurants. A prime stop on the West Highland Way, it’s also near The Ice Factor, Europe’s largest indoor ice climbing wall. Visit their website

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:
By Air: The nearest international airport is Glasgow (GLA). There is a regular shuttle bus into Glasgow city centre (approx 25 mins). Glasgow to Milngavie is 7 miles, you can either: take a taxi from Glasgow city centre; travel by train directly to Milngavie, this takes 25 minutes; or travel by bus, which takes 40 minutes.
By Public Transport: Milngavie has a railway station. Most services will pass through Glasgow.
By Road: Milngavie is 7 miles north of Glasgow. For Glasgow, travel on the M6 north followed by the A74 (M). From Glasgow, follow the A81 direct to Milngavie.

Returning from Crianlarich:
By Public Transport: There is a railway station in Crianlarich, most services will pass through Glasgow.
By Road: Crianlarich is 56 miles north of Glasgow. If heading out of Scotland you need to head south to Glasgow, to connect with major roads and motorways for onward travel.

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.