West Highland Way – Through the Highlands on Scotland’s First National Trail
Hiking the West Highland Way Trail Walking North Through History, Rain, and Highland Resilience The West Highland Way stretches 154 km from Milngavie, a suburb of Glasgow, to the outdoor capital of Fort William, gateway to Ben Nevis. Following old drovers’ roads, military tracks, and loch-side paths, this trail marked Scotland’s first official long-distance route and has become one of the most popular hikes in the UK and Europe. We arrived here after walking Wainwright’s Coast to Coast and finishing the Pennine Way, with only two weeks remaining in our UK journey before a return transatlantic voyage aboard the Queen Mary 2 . What began as a spontaneous decision to head north quickly turned into a journey of contrasts: sublime Highland scenery met with the mental challenges of trail crowds, unpredictable weather, and the evolving definition of wilderness. The West Highland Way offered us moments of unexpected solitude, wild beauty, and encounters with feral goats, ancient ruins,...