Trekking the West Highland Way
- 7 Days
- Departure/Arrival:
- Glasgow, United Kingdom - Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Voyage code:
- WHW01
- Price:
- SOLD OUT
Walk the picturesque banks of Loch Lomond, hike among rugged mountain peaks and gentle glens, and maybe even sample a dram of local Scotch whisky. Your route covers 75 kilometres of this classic long-distance trail from the outskirts of Glasgow to Strathfillan, in the heart of the West Highlands.
LEVEL 2 – Moderate Hiking Style
Some difficult terrain. Multiple consecutive +5 hour hiking days. May be impacted by high altitude. Good fitness, health and hiking experience necessary.
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival Glasgow
On arrival at Glasgow Airport or Railway Station, you enjoy a private transfer to your city centre hotel. After checking in, the rest of the day is free to recover from your journey.
Overnight Glasgow – hotel TBC
Day 2 Transfer to Milngavie
Have a briefing in the lobby at 3.00pm (hotel details will be provided in your final documents) and make the short transfer (30 minutes) to the village of Milngavie (pronounced ‘Mill-guy’). On arrival, our guide will welcome you and give you a briefing on the hike which lies ahead in the coming days. There will be a little bit of free time to explore the town, before having the first dinner with your group.
Overnight Milngavie – Best Foot Forward Guest House or similar (B, D)
Day 3 Hike to Drymen
After breakfast, we pick up our daypacks and begin hiking! Your main luggage will be transferred to the next hotel while we hike. Although we’re still fairly close to Glasgow, we are soon walking through open countryside. This part of the journey follows what was an important route in preindustrial times and your guide will help you spot some standing stones from the late Stone Age. We’ll arrive at the accommodation tonight in time to settle in before enjoying a welcome dinner - and possibly a dram of the local Glengoyne whisky too.
Total hiking time approx. 6 hours, distance 19 km (12 miles).
Overnight Drymen – Ashbank Guest House or The Hawthorns Guest House (B, L, D)
Day 4 Hike to Rowardennan
The trail leaves Drymen and passes through Garadhban Forest. Leaving the forest, we’ll take a detour to climb Conic Hill. Though just 361 metres (1,185 feet) high, it offers fantastic views over Loch Lomond. Reaching the eastern banks of Loch Lomond at Balmaha, we follow the shore through forest until you reach the tranquil setting of Rowardennan, which is nestled at the foot of Ben Lomond.
Total hiking time approx. 6 hours, distance 21 km (13 miles).
Overnight Rowardennan – Rowardennan Hotel or similar (B,L,D)
Day 5 Hike to Inverarnan
Starting out with views of Ben Lomond - which translates as Beacon Hill - this is a challenging stage but the combination of differing terrain, scenery and views make it very rewarding. Rougher terrain means that the going is slower but it’s wonderful to be in such wild country. The trail improves towards the end of the day as we near our next destination, the tiny settlement of Invernarnan.
Total hiking time approx. 7-8 hours, distance 23 km (14 miles).
Overnight Inverarnan – Bheinn Ghlas Guest House or similar (B,L,D)
Day 6 Hike to Crianlarich, transfer to Edinburgh
Our day begins with a walk through Glen Falloch before we turn northwards into Strath Fillan. The landscape gets wilder and your guide will point out some of the hardier plants that grow in this region, and explain how they were used by the clansmen and women in the past. As we approach Crianlarich, we are rewarded with wonderful mountain views in all directions. Reaching the tiny village of Crianlarich, it’s the end of our hike, so you can kick off your boots and sit back and enjoy the views with a drink. We then make the approx. 2-hour transfer to Edinburgh, arriving at approx. 4pm.
Total hiking time approx. 4 hours, hiking distance 12 km (8 miles).
Overnight Edinburgh. (B,L)
Day 7 Edinburgh
Enjoy breakfast at your leisure this morning. If you are continuing on with our Wild Scotland voyage, you have a day at leisure in beautiful Edinburgh before joining your fellow expeditioners tonight for a pre-voyage briefing and welcome drink. If you are not joining our voyage, please speak to our team about ongoing arrangements. (B)
Inclusions
- Arrival airport transfer to hotel on Day 1
- Transfer from Glasgow to Milngavie on Day 2
- Transfer from Tyndrum to Edinburgh on Day 6
- 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches & 4 dinners
- 6 nights’ Standard to Superior hotel and guest house accommodation throughout
- Luggage transfer for the duration of the trek
- All guide fees and National Park entrance costs
- Qualified and experienced hiking guide throughout (English speaking)
Exclusions
- International or domestic flights,unless specified
- Transfers not mentioned in the itinerary
- Airport arrival or departure taxes
- Passport, visa, reciprocity fees and vaccination charges
- Travel insurance or emergency evacuation charges
- Hotels and meals not included in itinerary
- Optional excursions not included in the itinerary
- Optional activity surcharges
- All items of a personal nature including but not limited to: alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, laundry services, personal clothing, medical expenses, gratuities, Wi-Fi, email or phone charges.
Cabins & Prices
Extension Tours
Other expeditions you may like
Cairngorms National Park Explorer
Hiking in the Cairngorms National Park is a special experience. Listed by National Geographic as one of the top 50 …
8 Days
SOLD OUT
Wild Scotland
Discover the wild isles of Scotland, from the windswept Hebrides, inhabited for over 8,000 years, to the verdant Orkney Islands, …
12 Days
SOLD OUT
Scotland, Jan Mayen & Svalbard
Encompassing some of the wildest, most rugged outliers of the North Atlantic Ocean and the High Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard, …
16 Days
SOLD OUT
Make it a back-to-back
Next voyage
Discover the wild isles of Scotland, from the windswept Hebrides, inhabited for over 8,000 years, to the verdant Orkney Islands, where ancient Neolithic and Viking sites conjure images of civilisations long gone. Zodiac-cruise past sea-sculpted coastlines watching for dolphins, seals, and photograph seabirds in one of Europe’s largest seabird colonies. Visit charming villages, meet the friendly locals and maybe even sample a wee dram of Scotland’s finest.
Trekking the West Highland Way WHW01 can be combined with Scotland Wildlife (12 days) starting 26th May 2022.
Find out more
Request a customised quote
Want to book flights and accommodation with us or simply want some additional information? Click the button below and fill out the form, our expedition experts are more than happy to help.
*Terms & Conditions apply. Valid on select ship voyages only. Offer is valid on new bookings only aboard the Greg Mortimer or Sylvia Earle which must be booked and deposited by 30 April 2022. Promotion is subject to availability at the time of booking and capacity controlled. The promotion is only available in conjunction with the back to back voyage discount or the loyalty program offer, and not available with any other offer. The promotion can be withdrawn at any time and is not redeemable for cash. Normal booking terms and conditions apply. To confirm your booking, a completed booking form and non-refundable deposit of $2,500 pp in the booking currency is required within 7 days of reserved berth/s. Additional terms and conditions may apply. Please see full terms and conditions.
^Terms & Conditions apply. Additional 5% discount valid on both voyages but two voyages must connect back to back in terms of dates to be eligible. Offer is valid on new bookings only aboard the Greg Mortimer or Sylvia Earle. Promotions are subject to availability at the time of booking and capacity controlled. The promotion is only available in conjunction with early bird voyage discount or the loyalty program offer, and not available with any other offer. The offer can be withdrawn at any time and are not redeemable for cash. Normal booking terms and conditions apply. Please see full terms and conditions.
