It all starts in Glasgow. A 154 km unique hike through Scotland’s breathtaking landscape with the destination Fort William. For our West Highland Way tour in April, one of Europe’s most popular long-distance hiking trails, we flew from Munich via Amsterdam to Glasgow.
Entering the UK, even after Brexit, is not as complicated or time-consuming as expected. If one has an EU passport, one can directly use the electronic gate for automatic entry clearance.
The airport in Glasgow is quite compact and if you travel with hand luggage only, like we did, you will be at the exit in a few minutes and directly in front of the express bus to the city.
GLASGOW AIRPORT EXPRESS SERVICE 500.
This bus connects Glasgow Airport with the city centre, takes about 20 minutes to get to the centre. One way costs £8.5, return £14 which is available within two weeks. Don’t lose slips.
Although the weather forecast predicted rain, Glasgow touched us dry and even really sunny at times. Glasgow was not a stop on our last Scotland road trip and is considered quite industrial and not necessarily worth seeing. But the old town surprised us with its multitude of historic buildings and was by no means disappointing.
Okay, many of the buildings are in need of renovation and some shop spaces are empty. However, whether this is typical for Glasgow or whether it is still the effects of the lockdown, we cannot now understand.
We made a short stop in Glasgow on our way to and from the West Highland Way. The atmosphere in Glasgow is similar to that in Berlin, and once you get used to the rubbish by the side of the road and the industrial flair, the city surprisingly quickly seems likeable.
We especially liked the variety of small restaurants that we could try out spontaneously.
You hear a lot in the news about the rising cost of living, especially for food in the UK, but we found it more affordable than on our last visit, thanks in part to the good exchange rates for euros and pounds.
The Glasgow Mural Trail is a collection of graffiti and street art adorning various neighbourhoods in Glasgow. It was launched in 2014 to enrich the city through public art. The trail encompasses a variety of styles and techniques, from realistic portraits to abstract designs. The initiative has also contributed to the enhancement and beautification of the city and is an important element of urban culture in Glasgow.
Walking around the old town, you can spot some of the great graffiti. Anyone planning a stay in Glasgow should look out for the walls of houses in the side streets.
So planning an extra night at the beginning and end of the West Highland Way walk in Glasgow doesn’t hurt.
We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express and can also recommend it because of its ideal location for us walkers. The huge Central Bus Station is just around the corner, where the bus arrives for the return journey from Fort William and also the airports, as well as the Queen Street train station, outward journey to the start in Milngavie, can be reached in just under 5 minutes on foot.
There are also several outdoor shops in the immediate vicinity, in case you forgot something or couldn’t take something with you, such as hiking poles.
WHW – Stage 1 Milngavie – Drymen
The official starting point of the West Highland Way is in Milngavie. Milngavie is about 25 minutes by train from Glasgow’s Queen Street Station.
There are two trains per hour and you don’t need to book in advance.
Around the starting point of the WHW in Milngavie is a pedestrianised area with cafes, bakeries and a small supermarket where you can stock up on provisions for the day.
At first, the walk feels like a stroll in a park by the river, but the further you get into the suburbs, the more the typical Scottish landscape reveals itself with the first sheepherders.
We’ve heard that many people skip the first stage, even find it boring, but it would be a shame to miss out on this view and the official starting point. Besides, the easy walk to Drymen is a good warm-up for the long walking days ahead.
Located halfway to Drymen, the first restaurant you pass on the West Highland Way. Very large garden and terrace with lots of wildlife.
Open from 11am, closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Sandwich & Soups are highly recommended.
Cafe 1 km from the Beech Tree Inn. There is also an Honesty Shop in front of the cafe. Healthy lunch sets are very popular.
Open from 11am, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
WHW – Stage 2 Drymen – Rowardennan
Stage 2 of the walk first takes you to a small hill called Conic Hill. Conic Hill is 361m above sea level and is quite popular with day walkers as it is easily accessible from Glasgow.
When walking the West Highland Way, the 11 km gradual climb from the Drymen side to the top of Conic Hill, i.e. the 360 m difference in altitude, is hardly noticeable.
You notice that you have been steadily gaining altitude over the last few kilometres when the huge lake appears on the horizon in front of you.
While we were on our way to Conic Hill, we hardly encountered any other walkers at first. The closer we got to the top, however, the number of day-trippers increased significantly.
So many people came up Conic Hill from the car park at Balmaha, probably because it was a Sunday and not quite bad weather, that the newly built path was well filled.
However, the summit closest to Loch Lomond was too muddy, so day-trippers in their trainers “unfortunately” couldn’t get there. So we were able to enjoy this impressive view alone in peace and quiet.
The hiking trails in Scotland are usually muddy, even when it’s not raining. We were not sure if we should walk with trail runners like on the Camino Portugues, but we think it was the right decision to wear our walking shoes (half-high and waterproof).
After a short lunch break in Balmaha, we walk another 12 km along Loch Lomond to Rowardennan, where our booked hostel is located.
The path along Loch Lomond has many small climbs and nice viewpoints of the loch that make progress difficult. Looking at this section on the map, it looks easy, but it took us more than four hours to walk these 12 km, including breaks.
Located just after the descent from Conic Hill, with a terrace on the lake. The place is popular, ordering only online via QR menu, but the food was served quite quickly.
It is also a hotel, and many WHW walkers stay here. Soup of the Day was very tasty and gave new strength!
The Clansman Bar Restaurant
Pub next to the Rowardennan Hotel. The location is top, but the food doesn’t seem to have a good reputation. Not many other options in the corner though.
Friendly staff, rooms clean, quiet at night and a great location right by the lake and WHW. Strong and very hot shower. Enough toilets. Cosy lounge with great view. Dinner was good for the price and breakfast was ok. Private rooms also available.
WHW – Stage 3 Rowardennan – Inverarnan
The hostels in Rowardennan put men and women in separate dormitories when private rooms are not available. So we slept the night in separate rooms. In the men’s dormitory – as I feared – people were snoring so badly that I had to quickly get earplugs at the reception. My immediate bed neighbour, whose sawmill was already starting at 8 o’clock, came running from Milngavie on a train. The West Highland Way is also quite popular with trail runners!
… So for some it may be more comfortable to stay in tents, but it is not so easy to escape the snoring of others, as the tents we saw on the West Highland Way like this were often quite close together…
Today’s stage heads steadily north along the Loch Lomond footpath. Just 15 minutes after setting off, the trail splits into two sections. One is the ‘Upper Trail’, which follows a forest track, and the other is the ‘Lower Trail’, which runs right along the water.
We had heard that the lower trail can be strenuous, but we chose it anyway because it has little elevation gain overall and the weather was good.
After four or five kilometres, the two paths meet again and you soon reach the Inversnaid Hotel, which is half of today’s stage.
We arrived at the Inversnaid Hotel just as lunchtime was starting, around 12.00pm.
The Inversnaid Hotel offers a wonderful break room for WHW walkers, and own food may be consumed there as well. The restaurant and bar are also open for walkers and are ideal on cold days.
We treated ourselves to a soup and sandwich, both of which were very tasty, if a little time-consuming. The staff stick to the 12 o’clock time very carefully and it gets very crowded at the bar when everyone wants to order at the same time.
We would organise everything a bit differently or more flexibly, but no one asks us.
Payment by credit card was possible here as well as on the entire West Highland Way!
The 7 km after the Inversnaid Hotel was quite a strenuous stretch, as we have already described in the preparation article.
The trail was so strenuous that we regretted taking the lower trail first today. But we thought that if we didn’t take the lower path, which was closer to the water, we would have less chance of enjoying Loch Lomond later.
We thought wrong.
The last section of the walk is almost entirely along the water, so you can enjoy the views of Loch Lomond and the surrounding area either way. There are also plenty of opportunities to take a break at each of the beaches.
On hot summer days, certainly a very popular corner!
We are average fit walkers, but considering the fact that it took us a good two hours to walk this almost 7 km section with almost no difference in altitude, you realise how tedious the walk is after all.
The final section of this stage, from the ferry to Ardui to today’s destination, is much easier to negotiate and also offers great views of Loch Lomond.
We reached the Drovers Inn Hotel just before 5pm, which meant we had covered about 22km in 8.5 hours in total, including breaks.
What a day!
Luckily the hotel has an attached and extremely quaint pub, so you don’t have to walk long to get a cold beer and hearty dinner.
Honesty Shop, right by Rowardennan Youth Hostel, where you should definitely buy a banana bread as it is incredibly delicious!
The hotel is located in the middle of today’s stage. Lounge for walkers with a view. Lunch is served from exactly 12.00.
Campsite in Inverarnan, the destination. There is a small shop where you can buy ready meals, snacks or medicines. The campsite also has a pub that serves food.
Famous hotel built in 1705. Very old building, not in the best condition, but the rooms were clean and we slept well. The accompanying pub is virtually mandatory.
WHW – Stage 4 Inverarnan – Tyndrum
The next morning, after a restful night’s sleep – diagonally opposite the famous haunted room of the Drovers Inn mind you – we set off for our next destination, Tyndrum.
We decided to use the luggage transport again today, as now I had some pain in my knee. I guess we’re both getting old and the tempting option of luggage transport, is constantly held up to you.
Today’s route takes us along the River Fillan instead of Loch Lomond. The first few kilometres in particular are a kind of gorge, with several small waterfalls worth seeing.
We had ordered packed lunches at the Drovers Inn the day before, as we were told there were no places to stop on this section unless you stopped off at Crianlarich.
We reached the turn-off to Crianlarich just before lunchtime, and we were right to take our packed lunches with us.
Because not only is Crianlarich about 1.5 km from the main route, but the way into town is not very ideal for a short diversions due to the difference in altitude. It also currently leads through an unattractive deforested area, which makes the whole thing even less interesting.
Although the weather was sunny and fine, the wind along the river was very cold and made it difficult to find a pleasant place to take a long break. In general, it is quite difficult to find a place to rest in the Highlands, as there are not many trees offering shelter from the wind.
We were therefore very happy when we unexpectedly found a small shop with a café in Strathfillan Wigwams, about 4 km from Tyndrum.
The last kilometres to Tyndrum are more of a walk and seem to be popular with day trippers as well.
Tyndrum is often referred to as the last town on the West Highland Way. However, the term “town” is a bit of an exaggeration; it is a small settlement with one petrol station, two supermarkets and a handful of restaurants. But if you forgot something or needed supplies, this is actually the last place you could expect to buy it.
Of course, this is reflected in the prices. Famous here is The Green Welly Stop, a small supermarket at a rest stop with a large assortment.
However, if you want more normal prices, go a few metres further, across the river, to Brodies Mini Market.
There is a small shop where you can buy snacks and drinks and take a break on the terrace. Toilets are also available.
Award winning fish and chip shop, highly recommended!
Very friendly owner, great location just around the corner from the best fish & chip shop along the whole WHW. Comfortable bed, super quiet at night. Breakfast in his heated and bright living room was a great start.
West Highland Way – interim conclusion
Tyndrum is not only the last major town for a while but also pretty much marks the middle of the West Highland Way. The warm-up phase ends, because from here on the path becomes more lonely and the landscape more rugged.
If you are short on time but still want to experience the highlights of the West Highland Way, you could take the train from Glasgow directly to Tyndrum in just under 2 hours and start the walk that way.
The scenery from Tyndrum is unique and pure Scotland!
More about this in the next article.
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