Isle of Skye, Scotland
Skye Trail
4 days · 82 miles · wild camping
The length of Skye, from Rubha Hunish over the Trotternish ridge to Broadford.
- All four days
- My GPX files
- Wild camping, explained
- Getting there without a car
Scottish Highlands, Scotland · 4 days · 96 miles · solo, plus Ben Nevis
West Highland Way Hiking Guide
In June 2023 I hiked the whole West Highland Way alone in four days, from Milngavie on the edge of Glasgow to Fort William, then climbed Ben Nevis the next morning by the Carn Mor Dearg Arete. Loch Lomond and Conic Hill, Glen Falloch, Rannoch Moor, Glencoe and the Devil's Staircase, and the worst midges of my life. This guide has my GPS files, maps and notes for every day, where to sleep and the Loch Lomond camping rules, the trains and buses, and a plan for the usual six to eight days.
What's inside
- All four days, plus Ben Nevis. Stats, the time I took, my notes, the trail, where to get off, a map with an elevation profile, and links to that day in my film.
- My GPX files. My own recordings for each day and the whole Way, with waypoints for where I slept, the villages and my stops, and Ben Nevis as its own file, ready for AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin or Organic Maps.
- Where to sleep. My two wild camps, a hostel and a bed in town, the Loch Lomond camping zones and permits in plain terms, and the campsites, bothies, hostels and hotels along the Way, checked for 2026.
- Getting there and home. Glasgow Airport to Milngavie, and Fort William back to Glasgow or London by coach, train or sleeper, with 2026 facts, plus every way off the trail day by day.
- When to go and the midges. What I'd do differently, the midge and tick season, what actually works against midges, and the race and lambing dates to plan around.
- Ben Nevis. My route over Carn Mor Dearg and the arete, the ordinary Mountain Track, and the bearings for the summit in cloud.
- Other ways to do it. The eight official sections and a 6 to 8 day plan, baggage transfer, the Conic Hill low route and the new High Route into Fort William.
- Before you go and a trip sheet. One page of year-to-year checks and a printable one-page summary of the whole Way.
Look inside
The details
- Format
- A 53-page PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
- Edition
- 2027 season edition, updated September 2026.
- Delivery
- Instant. After you pay you get a private download link. Bookmark it to download again on any device.
- Payment
- Secure checkout through Stripe. The price is in US dollars, and sales tax or VAT is added where it applies.
- Questions
- Email kraig@kraigadams.com.
Questions
- How many days does the West Highland Way take?
- The official site says most people take six to seven days, and its suggested itineraries run from five to seven. I hiked it alone in four days in June 2023: 37, 29, 22 and 17 miles. Unless you're a fast, fit hiker who wants long days, plan six to eight.
- How hard is the West Highland Way?
- For me it was one of my easiest long-distance hikes: close to sea level, very well marked, with little climbing for its distance. The highest point is the top of the Devil's Staircase, 1,821 ft (555 m) on my GPS. What makes it hard is the distance, the rough lochside path north of Rowardennan, the open moor and the weather.
- Can you wild camp on the West Highland Way?
- Outside the Loch Lomond camping zones, yes, under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. On the east shore of Loch Lomond, from March 1 to September 30, you may only camp in a campsite or with a camping permit: £4.50 per tent per night in 2026, booked online up to four weeks ahead.
- Are the midges bad on the West Highland Way?
- They can be. Midges are out from about May to October, worst in midsummer, early and late in the day and on calm, overcast days. In early June 2023 I had the worst bug experience of my life packing up my tent one morning, though during the day the sun and wind kept them away. Bring a proper midge head net.
- Can someone carry your bag on the West Highland Way?
- Yes. Travel-Lite and AMS Scotland move bags between your nights for the whole Way: £80 a bag in 2026, from March 21 to October 18. I carried everything myself.
- Can you climb Ben Nevis after the West Highland Way?
- Yes, straight from Fort William. The Mountain Track from Glen Nevis is the ordinary way, 6 to 9 hours up and down. The morning after I finished, I went up by the Carn Mor Dearg Arete, a longer route with an easy scramble: 17.5 miles and about 4,930 ft of climbing my way.
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Get the next guide
I'm making guides for more of my hikes, and I host a group trip about once a year. Get an email when a new guide or trip is out. A few emails a year.