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West Highland Way and Ben Nevis: a still from my film

Scottish Highlands, Scotland · June 2023 · Solo

West Highland Way and Ben Nevis

154 KM · 4 DAYS · 3,090 M

4 days alone from Milngavie to Fort William, plus Ben Nevis.

Watch the film 20:48 · 328K views

At a glance

Where
Scottish Highlands, Scotland
Distance
154 km (96 miles)
Days
4 days
Climbing
About 10,140 ft (3,090 m) up and 10,340 ft (3,150 m) down on the Way, by my GPS
Season
I walked June 8 to 11, 2023, and climbed Ben Nevis on June 12
Difficulty
In my words: one of my easiest long-distance hikes ever. Long, low, well marked and busy; rough underfoot along Loch Lomond; exposed on Rannoch Moor
Route
Milngavie to Gordon Square
When I went
June 2023
Relief map of the West Highland Way route: 5 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Milngavie, Ben Nevis, Inversnaid and Bridge of Orchy.
Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Highest 4,390 ft (1,337 m)

Elevation, start to finish: highest 4,390 ft (1,337 m), lowest sea level.

My GPS recording on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts. The GPX files come with the guide.

Everything I made about it

The film

Photos

  • Loch Lomond and its islands from the path over Conic Hill, Day 1.
    Loch Lomond and its islands from the path over Conic Hill, Day 1.
  • Beinn Dorain above the valley on Day 2.
    Beinn Dorain above the valley on Day 2.
  • The Way through the forest above Glen Nevis, Day 4.
    The Way through the forest above Glen Nevis, Day 4.
  • On the Carn Mor Dearg Arete, Day 5.
    On the Carn Mor Dearg Arete, Day 5.
Me at the start in Milngavie, the morning of Day 1.
Me at the start in Milngavie, the morning of Day 1.

The guide · 54-page PDF + GPX files · 2027 season edition

Do it yourself

4 days alone from Milngavie to Fort William, plus Ben Nevis.

  • All four days, plus Ben Nevis
  • My GPX files
  • Where to sleep
  • Getting there and home
  • When to go and the midges

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Look inside the guide

Free sample

Try Day 2 free

The whole Day 2, Inversnaid to Bridge of Orchy page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each. Both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

Gear on this trip

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What I carried in 2023

  • Tenta small green tentFor my two wild camps.
  • Head neta mosquito head netThe midges went straight through it. Bring a midge net.
  • ShoesBrooks trail runnersA month later I wrote that the Brooks shoes from my last few hikes had given me plantar fasciitis.
  • HeadphonesShokz OpenFitOpen-ear headphones. I was destroying audiobooks on this trip, because there were a lot of long days on flat trails.
  • Alsoa black backpack, a cap and a light sun hoodieIn my photos.

Filming kit

  • Cameramy camera on a tripod

Music in this film

All music

What I'd take now

My current kit

Everything I use, in Tools

Europe bundle

This guide is in Europe Hiking Guide Pack: 11 guides for $39. Or all 62 guides for $59.

Short answers

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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