West Highland Way
West Highland Way: Scotland’s Classic Long-Distance Walk
The West Highland Way is Scotland’s first official long-distance route and its most popular multi-day walk: 154 km / 96 miles from Milngavie, near Glasgow, to Fort William. Most hikers walk it south-to-north over 7 days. The route is moderate, with 4,800 m of total ascent, rocky and gravel sections, and a highest point at the Devil’s Staircase around 548 m. It suits fit walkers wanting a well-established point-to-point trail through Scotland, with hotels, campsites and wild-camping options.
Route Overview
The West Highland Way is a point-to-point trail usually walked south-to-north from Milngavie to Fort William. It passes the east shore of Loch Lomond, crosses the open ground of Rannoch Moor, reaches Glen Coe and Kingshouse, climbs the Devil’s Staircase, then descends to Kinlochleven before finishing through Glen Nevis into Fort William. The route mixes mountainous terrain, forest and grassland on dirt, gravel and rocky surfaces. Because it is not a loop, plan your start and finish logistics before setting off. If you are comparing Scottish long-distance routes, also look at the Cape Wrath Trail, Speyside Way and John Muir Way.
Historic Roads of the West Highland Way
The West Highland Way opened in 1980 as Scotland’s first official long-distance footpath. Much of the route follows older lines through the Highlands, including historic drovers’ roads used for moving livestock and 18th-century military roads. That history is part of the walk’s character: long, practical routes through glens, moorland and passes rather than a purpose-built mountain traverse.
Notable highlights
- Loch Lomond: The route follows the loch’s east shore, giving a long waterside section early in the walk and a clear shift from lowland approach to Highland terrain.
- Rannoch Moor wilderness: A broad, exposed moorland crossing that feels remote and is one of the route’s defining landscape changes.
- Glen Coe: A dramatic Highland glen on the route near Kingshouse, important for both scenery and the sense of entering bigger mountain country.
- Old military and drovers’ roads: Historic trackways give the walk a practical, old-route feel underfoot, especially where the trail uses gravel and rocky surfaces.
- Devil’s Staircase: The highest point of the West Highland Way, at around 548 m, and the main named climb before Kinlochleven.
- Finish under Ben Nevis: The final approach through Glen Nevis brings you into Fort William beneath one of Scotland’s best-known mountains.
Challenges to expect
Expect a moderate but sustained 7-day walk rather than a technical mountain route. The main challenges are cumulative ascent, rocky and gravel surfaces, exposed sections on Rannoch Moor, and the climb to the Devil’s Staircase. Spring, summer and autumn are the stated walking seasons, but Highland weather can make navigation, pacing and clothing choices important.
United Kingdom 
Scotland - Mountainous
- Forest
- Grassland
- Dirt
- Gravel
- Rocky
- Hotels
- Campsites
- Wild Camping Spots
- Family Friendly
- Dog Friendly On Leash
- Restrooms
- Potable Water Sources
- Established Campsites
- Shelters
- Public Transport Access Points
Beginning at the official West Highland Way obelisk in Milngavie, this first section leads you northwards through Mugdock Country Park, lush woodland, and open farmland. The path is mostly gentle on firm tracks and minor roads, passing Gartness and alongside the River Blane before reaching the village of Drymen. This stage offers a gentle introduction to the trail, with minimal elevation change and plenty of waymarkers.
Leaving Drymen, the route soon ascends the forested slopes of Conic Hill, providing panoramic views across Loch Lomond and its islands. After descending, the trail continues into the picturesque village of Balmaha on the eastern shore. The terrain involves woodland paths, grassy tracks, and the notable hill ascent, which is the first significant climb of the journey.
This memorable section hugs the rugged eastern shoreline of Loch Lomond, traversing dense woodland, rocky outcrops, and intermittent beach stretches. The route passes through Rowardennan, with limited road access, and continues by Inversnaid and Rob Roy’s Cave before reaching Inverarnan. Expect undulating, occasionally rough and technical paths, especially after Rowardennan, with ample scenic rewards.
Departing Inverarnan, the trail moves away from Loch Lomond and follows the River Falloch valley, passing quaint farms and the small hamlet of Crianlarich. After a possible short detour into Crianlarich, the route rejoins woodland and continues north towards Tyndrum. This stage combines gentle valley walking with occasional woodland and riverside paths, offering expansive views of surrounding hills.
From Tyndrum, the route ascends gradually along the old military road through open moorland, flanked by the dramatic peaks of Beinn Odhar and Beinn Dorain. The path is wide and straightforward, passing the Bridge of Orchy before concluding at the remote hamlet of Inveroran. Expect sweeping Highland vistas and a well-defined track underfoot.
This wild and remote segment follows a stone-paved former drovers’ road, the 'Old Military Road,' across the exposed expanses of Rannoch Moor. With no settlements between the start and finish points, this famous stretch is characterized by open wilderness, distant mountain views, and often unpredictable weather. The day finishes at Kingshouse, a historic inn and lodge in Glencoe.
Departing Kingshouse, the route skirts the base of Buachaille Etive Mòr before ascending the steep Devil’s Staircase, the highest point on the West Highland Way at 550m. A panoramic traverse is followed by a long switchback descent into the wooded valley, ending in the village of Kinlochleven. This section involves a substantial climb and descent, offering dramatic scenery throughout.
The final day begins with a climb out of Kinlochleven and onto the Lairigmor, tracing a broad valley amidst the mountains before descending through forest plantations toward Glen Nevis. The trail culminates in Fort William’s town center, with distant views of Ben Nevis marking the journey’s end. The path includes gradual ascent, open moor, and woodland before finishing on urban streets.