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View my Youtube video of the whole journey here.
In light of overcoming personal challenges, I decided to take on a more physical challenge. I set out looking for a hike that I could achieve, one that had some hills and would give me the opportunity to camp. I couldn’t find anything that was only a 3-4 day hike that quite tickled my fancy. Then I came across the West Highland Way online, rated as one of the most beautiful walks in the UK, tackling the Scottish Highlands in a 96-mile (154km) hike that was estimated to take between 5-9 days.
Initially, I thought it would be too difficult, so I put it aside for a later day. I just simply could not shake it; the more I thought about it, the more I realised I wanted to do it, that I simply HAD to achieve it. So, with 1 week of planning I bought myself a tent, hiking boots and a pack, made an approximate itinerary and off I went to Scotland.
In hindsight, I probably could have prepared a bit more, but I am incredibly glad I did the walk and would HIGHLY recommend it. I will cover off my itinerary, packing list, and reflections in this blog.
Heading into the walk, I had basic level of fitness – I could run about 4km but had never carried an 18kg pack in my life. My boots were brand new with only about 3 days of wear beforehand, I went prepared with blister pads etc and a heck of a lot of determination to get through with my pack the whole way. For anyone who doesn’t fancy carrying their pack, it only costs about £40 to get it transported the whole way.
My Itinerary:
Day 1: Milngavie to Drymen = 12 miles (19km) – Kip in the Kirk hostel
Day 2: Drymen to Sallochy Bay = 15 miles (24km) – Sallochy Bay Campsite
Day 3: Sallochy Bay to Inverarnan = 20 miles (32km) – Beinglas Campsite
Day 4: Inverarnan to Tyndrum = 12 miles (19km) – Tyndrum by the way campsite
Day 5: Tyndrum to Rannoch Moor = 16 miles (26km) – Wild camping on Rannoch Moor
Day 6: Rannoch Moor to Kinlochleven = 13 miles (21km) – Kinlochmore B&B
Day 7: Kinlochleven to Fort William = 17 miles (27km) – Calluna Hostel
Day 1: Milngavie to Drymen (4 ½ hours)
After getting the train from Edinburgh to Milngavie (about an hours journey), I arrived about 1pm and set off on my walk just as the rain started. It was a relatively easy walk through farmland and along the road. The last 2 miles walking on the road were hard, I really started to feel my pack. Meeting another kiwi on the track, we realised we were both staying at the same hostel (Kip in the Kirk - a lovely welcoming hostel set in an old church, great for anyone of any age). Helen and I decided to head out and share some Haggis Pie and Scottish violet gin for dinner (I would recommend both). I was very glad to have a hostel booked the first night as I already had bruises forming on my collarbones and lower back from my heavy pack. Surprisingly, my feet were holding out.
Day 2: Drymen to Sallochy Bay (5 hours)
Lovely weather to begin with! Got on the road around 11am and had the track to myself until Conic Hill. The first couple of hours leading up to conic hill were easy, with slight inclines and beautiful views over Loch Lomond. Conic Hill was the first climb of the track, it was fairly steep with stairs leading up and definitely got the heart rate up, but overall it was not too difficult. Getting to the peak was a little treacherous and slippery but worth it for the views. I was glad to have my walking sticks on the way down as it was quite hard on the knees. I stopped for lunch in Balmaha at the Oak Tree Inn, setting off for Sallochy Bay mid-afternoon. The up and down alongside Loch Lomond began but offered nice views and variation which made the walk a bit more interesting. A few hours later I arrived in Sallochy Bay, a cute campsite that the walk runs right through. The campsites are fairly private and by pre-booking I secured a Lochside campsite, hired a campfire and had a pleasant evening on my own, watching the light disappear over the loch. Camping was FREEZING! My tent was great, but my sleeping bag wasn’t warm enough: take a 3 season, not a 2!
Day 3: Sallochy Bay to Inverarnan (8 hours)
Without a doubt this was the hardest day! I had read online that the stretch after Inversnaid was the hardest part of the track but hadn’t taken much notice. The first half of the day was varied, a lot of small inclines and declines alongside Loch Lomond I stopped for lunch at Rowardennan Bothy with some people I met on the track, I met Daniel and Gerry here, after they popped in to look at the Bothy, and we settled on a whiskey later that evening at our campsite. I had to navigate a fallen tree on my hands and knees and a very slippery track, but nothing prepared me for the last 6 miles. I didn’t get to Inversnaid until late afternoon and set off for Inverarnan knowing that it could get dark, the track offered a combination of tree roots resembling ladders, muddy slopes that were easier to slide down on my bum then try and walk, rickety bridges over flooded waterfalls, massive boulders and overhanging trees threatening to push me into the loch, and did I mention: A LOT of mud. It didn't take me long to realise that if I lost balance my pack would offset and send me tumbling; case and point when I slipped when climbing some tree roots and fell backward, fortunately my pack broke my fall. This was the only part of the track that truly challenged me, both mentally and physically. I was exhausted, but then met some lovely Austrians who I gladly joined to walk the last 5km in the dark and pouring rain. Fortunately, they had extra room in their hut for the night, so I avoided sleeping in my tent in the pouring rain! A hot shower was a welcome luxury too.
Day 4: Inverarnan to Tyndrum (5 hours)
What a pleasant surprise this day was, nice rolling hills, walking alongside a picturesque river and through cow paddocks (watch out for the mud in 'cow poo alley'!). Daniel and I decided to walk together, meeting up with Gerry later that day at the Crianlarich intersection. The walk provided lovely views, strolls through beautiful farmland and woods and plenty of variety of terrain. It was a fairly relaxed day and was made better by having wonderful company. We arrived in Tyndrum mid-late afternoon, so I had plenty of time to set up my tent at my campsite before heading into town for dinner and a few games of pool with Daniel and Gerry. Tyndrum was the most lively place on the walk, so a good chance to go out and have a couple of drinks with other travellers and the locals.
Day 5: Tyndrum to Rannoch Moor
After only getting about 4 ½ hours sleep I had a fairly slow start to the day. As Daniel and Gerry had a different itinerary, I was back to walking solo. The walk from Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy was quite tedious, following closely to the road and not offering a lot of varied scenery, so it didn’t feel quite as special. Upon reaching Bridge of Orchy, the track headed up over the hills and so became more remote. I placed my first rock on the cairn a the top of the hill and carried on down the other side to the Inveroran Hotel. Arriving just after 4pm and stopping for a much needed hot chocolate (highly recommend!!), I made the decision to walk another 10km into Rannoch Moor to walk camp for the night so that my hike to Kinlochleven the following day would be shortened. Turned out it was the best decision I ever made as the people where I had planned to camp were flash flooded out that night. I trekked on for Ba Cottage, a site that had been recommended to me by a local as a lot of the Moor can’t be camped on. I made it just before dark with enough time to set up my tent. It was VERY remote, no one else in sight, a strangely liberating feeling.
Day 6: Rannoch Moor to Kinlochleven (5 hours)
I had next to no sleep, it blew a gale all night and poured with rain, so I packed up and hit the road relatively early with a cold croissant for breakfast. Another 5km or so down the track was Glencoe Mountain Resort, where I decided to stop for a delicious bacon butty. Chatting with some fellow travellers, they told me that some tents had been blown away in the storm the night before, so I count myself as lucky! Carrying on, I headed out for Kingshouse, battling with the wind and rain, and catching a glimpse of the stunning Glencoe Valley. Before long, I found myself at the start of the Devils Staircase (where some mad mans running event was happening), beginning the slog, I was surprised to find it didn’t take too long, and with short, frequent breaks I made it up relatively easily, albeit disappointed that there were no actual stairs. The hike down to Kinlochleven seemed to go on forever, it was MUCH further than on the way up. But I still made it to Kinlochmore (my B&B) for mid afternoon, a bed and hot shower was a welcome sight - I can’t recommend this B&B highly enough, the hosts are so kind and wonderful and made the BEST breakfast! I treated myself to fish and chips for dinner and an early night.
Day 7: Kinlochleven to Fort William (7 hours)
Helen (another kiwi who I met on day 1) came to join me for the last stretch to Fort William. We set off at a cripples pace, both of us broken (her with a damaged knee, me with a dodgy hip). The walk took us up a steep hill out of Kinlochleven, providing great views over the township. Then into Larigmor Valley, which has an interesting Scottish History involving some of my Scottish ancestors. The track was rocky and resembled more of a small river the majority of the way, but we were determined to keep going! That and the track is rather far from any proper roads… so we really had no choice. "I think this is my favourite part of the walk so far" Helen exclaimed as we walked over the top of a hill to catch our first glimpse of Ben Nevis, it was a spectacular view, of stunning rolling farmland, framed by taller hills and with Ben Nevis sitting at the end, like a great shepherd watching over his flock. Fort William lies near the base of Ben Nevis, and so we knew we were getting close. Some of the most beautiful scenery of the walk was on this stretch, despite the drab weather and broken bodies, Helen and I enjoyed ourselves. On approach to Fort William the weather really set in, saturating both of us. Which was made worse by a car driving past through a puddle absolutely drenching us both within the last 2km. Finally making it to Fort William after what seemed like an eternity, my body was ready to give out. Exhausted yet fulfilled I made my way to the finish point where there is a commemorative statue. In hindsight I should have taken a taxi, but I decided to walk up the hill to my hostel (in the rain), finally taking off my pack one last time and dumping everything in the drying room provided (life saver). I joined Daniel, Gerry and Helen for a celebratory dinner and drinks that evening which was a wonderful way to finish the hike.
NB: times mentioned above are active walking time only and don't include rest / photo breaks
Notes - what I learnt and wish I had of known:
I should have done more research on boots and possibly got leather ones so my feet stayed dry
I should have taken a warmer sleeping bag (2 seasons was not enough)
I didn’t need to take too much food as there were some shops along the way
Training with my pack on would have been a good idea
Strapping my ankles / feet to prevent straining them would have been beneficial, I am still bearing the consequences over 3 months later from an over extended ligament in my foot.
There is no such thing as too much waterproof
I am very glad I had done my research about timeframes, there is no way I could have done it in less than 7 days with a pack on. I would recommend aiming for 9 if you want to really enjoy yourself.
There is cellphone coverage most places, but not at all on Rannoch Moor
There are plenty of other people doing the walk, so you don’t have to be alone if you don’t want.
Almost any able-bodied person could do it – just maybe not carrying a pack. The pack carrying services are fairly affordable
Don’t carry too much additional water
TAKE A SPORTS BRA – bra straps + pack straps = ouch