West Highland Way – Self Guided B&B

Self-guided WHW bookings for the 2023 season are now closed but please do get in touch if you are looking to make a booking for our 2024 season.

Each day you will be walking along The West Highland Way to the next B&B. You will only be expected to carry your day sack (what you will need to keep you warm, dry, fed and watered for the day). Everything else will be transferred to your next B&B for you. At the end of each day you will be staying in a B&B for a good nights rest and enjoying a hearty breakfast before beginning the new day of walking.

What’s Included

• A West Highland Way Information Pack
• B&B accommodation for 8 nights
• Luggage transfer to each B&B
• Map
• All B&B’s will be within walking distance to a pub or hotel for your evening meal
• All B&B’s will be within walking distance from the end of the days walk, or transport will be provided to take you to your B&B

Itinerary

Day 1 of your holiday – Arrive in Milngavie

This is your chance to get to the start of the trek by making your way to Milngavie. We will have a B&B arranged for you for this first night, which will be pre-paid for, so you just need to turn up and tell them your name. We will include the full name and address of the B&B in your information pack, which will be sent to you well before your trip.

Day 2 – Walking to Drymen – 12 miles

This is the first day of walking, where the trip really begins. After you have enjoyed your breakfast you will make your way to the start. We will give you full instructions of where you need to leave your bag ready for it to be taken to your next B&B.
Today you will be walking to Drymen, it is 12 miles of walking, 420m of ascent and it will take us around 6-7 hours to get there. You will start by walking out of the urban area of Milngavie and leaving hectic civilization behind for the coming journey. For much of the rest of the day you will gain views over the spectacular Campsie Fells before eventually reaching your destination for the evening.

Day 3 – Walking to Rowardennan – 13 miles

Today you will be walking to Rowardennan which will take 7- 9 hours and is 13 miles long with 660m of height gain. Today the highlights include walk up conic hill giving you views over Loch Lomond and walking along the shores of the loch itself for much of the afternoon.

Day 4 – Walking to Inverarnan – 14 miles

Today will take about 7 – 9 hours to get to Inverarnan and you will have 931m of height gain throughout the day. This is a surprising tough section of the The West Highland Way, which begins at the foot of the famous Ben Lomond. You will then be following an undulating forestry track giving views to both Loch Lomond and the nearby mountains of the Arrochar Alps, including the distinctive summit of The Cobbler. You will also pass Rob Roy’s cave, where the famous outlaw allegedly held his captives!

Day 5 – Walking to Tyndrum – 12 miles

Today you will be walking to Tyndrum, it is 12 miles away with 490m of ascent throughout the day. This section should take 6 – 8 hours to complete and is on good paths and sections of the Old Military Road. Highlights of today include seeing the Falls of Falloch and passing the field of The Battle of Dal Righ.

Day 6 – Walking to Kingshouse – 20 miles

Today is the longest day of your trek. You will be walking to the famous Kingshouse which is 20 miles of walking and 690m of ascent which will take around 9-12 hours to complete. However, it can easily be the best day of the entire trip. The walking is on very good paths, and you will get views over Loch Tulla and the Black Mountains in the first half of the day. The second half of the day tackles the most famous part of the West Highland Way, Rannoch Moor. Rannoch Moor can be one of two things; the most beautiful place you can ever imagine to walk in if you get good weather, or the most wild, exposed and intimidating place if the weather is bad. Either way it is a part of the walk you will never forget.

Day 7 – Walking to Kinlochleven – 8 miles

Today you will be walking to Kinlochleven, it is 8 miles away, 430m of ascent and it will take around 4 – 5 hours to walk. Today’s highlights include the famous ascent of the ominously named ‘Devil’s Staircase’ to the highest point of The West Highland Way giving views over the Glen Coe Mountains and the Blackwater Reservoir, the longest reservoir in the highlands.

Day 8 – Walking to Fort William – 16 miles

Today you will be walking to Fort William, where you will find the end marker for the route. You will be walking for 7 – 8 hours and cover a distance of 16 miles with 735m of ascent. You will see the famous Ben Nevis, the biggest mountain in Scotland and get fantastic views of Glen Nevis too.

Day 9 – Departure day

Sadly, today it is time to make your way home. We will include information about public transport in your information pack to try and make this as easy as possible for you.

Price of the trip

The price of this trip is £859 per person (based on two people sharing a room, and one bag each – maximum weight of 20kg – for luggage transfer)

Or there is a £55 per night for a solo traveller needing single occupancy rooms and bag transfer.

To book this trip we will require a £200 deposit per person with the rest to be paid a month before your trip.

How To Book

Booking is simple all you need to do is follow 3 simple steps:

STEP ONE: Email us at: contact@thistletrekking.co.uk and let us know your chosen start date. (Any time from March to October)

STEP TWO: We will email you a full booking form and request the £200 deposit. Payment can be made by cheque, bank transfer or online securely with credit/debit card.

STEP THREE: Once we have received your completed booking form and deposit your trip will be secure!