West Highland Way — Glasgow to Fort William
Seven days across the Highlands — Loch Lomond, Rannoch Moor and Glencoe.
The perfect first long trail — well waymarked, villages every few hours and pubs for a hot dinner. Only the east shore of Loch Lomond slows you down, with roots and boulders.
You can walk it light — baggage transfer companies move bags between accommodations, and the Glasgow to Fort William train stops almost everywhere on the route.
How many km and how many days?
The full route is 157 km and about 7 days. Enter any km and days: if you are not doing it in one go, split it into several trips.
7 days, 157 km and 3500 m of climbing: about 22.4 km a day and 6 nights on the way.
- Milngavie → Drymen21.5 km · 350 m D+
- Drymen → Rowardennan21.5 km · 350 m D+
- Rowardennan → Inverarnan22.5 km · 550 m D+
- Inverarnan → Tyndrum22.5 km · 550 m D+
- Tyndrum → Kingshouse22.5 km · 600 m D+
- Kingshouse → Kinlochleven22.5 km · 600 m D+
- Kinlochleven → Fort William24 km · 500 m D+
Create your account and keep going with these 7 days.
It is free and takes a minute.
- Save the plan and pick up where you left off
- Carry it on your phone, map and times included
- Send it to your group with one link
- Download the itinerary and the calendar
Stages and sections
Approximate distances and climbing. Every guidebook and GPX varies by a few kilometres.
Stops along the route5
Four facts per village — what is worth a stop, where to sleep, where to eat and the practical warning.
Sleep — Drymen, Rowardennan
Eat — Balmaha, Conic Hill
Good to know — Train from Glasgow in 25 min
See on the map
Sleep — Inverarnan, Tyndrum
Eat — Inversnaid, Crianlarich
Good to know — One hotel only — book ahead
See on the map
Sleep — Kingshouse, Kinlochleven
Eat — Bridge of Orchy, Glencoe
Good to know — Outdoor shop and two stations
See on the map
Sleep — Fort William
Eat — Lairigmor, Glen Nevis
Good to know — Last dinner before Fort William
See on the map
Sleep — Fort William
Eat — Lairigmor, Glen Nevis
Good to know — Sleeper train to London
See on the map
Daily distance by level
Travel and paperwork
Season — April to October. Midges peak in June and July — repellent and a head net if you camp.
Keep it in your calendar
Once you build this route as a plan, every stage is a card with time, duration and place. From the plan link anyone can download the calendar (.ics) or add it to Google Calendar and Outlook, with reminders before each day and before payment or confirmation deadlines.
What to lock before you leave
- Book B&Bs months ahead — few beds, many walkers.
- Loch Lomond has camping restrictions — check permits before pitching.
- An extra day in Fort William to climb Ben Nevis is worth it.
- Waterproof boots — Rannoch Moor is nearly always wet.
Frequently asked questions
In Keago this route becomes a plan — one card per stage with time and duration, the daily track, each night's accommodation with link and location, the meals, and both travel tickets where the whole group can see them. Everyone confirms and you know who is missing.
Create your account and keep building your West Highland Way — Glasgow to Fort William plan.
It is free and takes a minute.
- Save the plan and pick up where you left off
- Carry it on your phone, map and times included
- Send it to your group with one link
- Download the itinerary and the calendar