THE SCOTTISH WEST HIGHLAND WAY TREK - 12 September - 20 September 2022

the scottish west highland way trek 2022

Due to the success of our first West Highland Way Trek in 2021, we’re delighted to relive the challenge in 2022 so that even more adventurers have a chance to experience the magic.

Discover the incredible natural beauty of the Scottish Highlands, taste whisky fresh from a local distillery and enjoy an optional first-class ride on the world-famous Jacobite Steam Train, aka. the Hogwarts Express, on our unbeatable Scottish adventure.

Setting off just outside Glasgow, we’ll trek on clear paths and trails alongside the magical Loch Lomond and fresh-water rivers to its north. We'll wind our way through forested hills, ancient woodland and the amazing Munro and Mamore mountains, with views of Ben Nevis, the Glenfinnan Viaduct and the Buchaille Mor Etive in the heart of Glen Coe.

Along the way, we’ll stop in traditional Highland settlements and camp amidst spectacular mountain scenery – the perfect escape after so long at home in lock-down!

Every step of the way, we can look out for local wildlife. In 2021, we were lucky enough to see a magnificent stag!

Crossing our finish line at the “outdoor capital” of Fort William, we end our adventure with an optional first-class ride on the Jacobite Steam Train, aka. the Hogwarts Express! Widely named one of the greatest rail journeys in the world, we’ll enjoy breath-taking scenes of lochs, mountains and valleys featured in the Harry Potter films.

You may also choose to stay an extra night in Fort William to give you more time to explore the town and its surroundings. We will send all participants details of how to book the optional train ride and extra night in Fort William closer the event date.

pay in full and save 5% on your challenge costs

You can get a 5% discount on your challenge costs if you pay in full by the 15th of March! 

Any money you pay towards your challenge will remain protected by ATOL and ABTOT. Simply call us on 01590 646410 (Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm) when you're ready to pay and we will deduct your discount from your challenge balance.

your itinerary

Previous

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

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day 1

milngavie

Our adventure begins when we first meet as a group in Milngavie, just outside Glasgow. We’ll send you details of our comfortable accommodation once you register for the trek, and you’ll have all day to make your own way there.

Milngavie has fantastic transport links, including trains to Glasgow’s stunning city centre, so you may want to make the most of the opportunity to explore the city.

In the evening, we unite for our Welcome Dinner and a briefing from our Challenge Leader. Then, we retire for a good night’s rest before we commence our trek tomorrow.

day 2

milngavie – drymen | approx. 24km/14.9 miles | +255m/837ft ascent

Rise and shine to our first day trekking. We lace up our hiking boots after breakfast at the hotel and trek through the exquisite Celtic countryside. Make the most of today’s fairly flat terrain, as it’s tame compared to the hills we’ll face on the days ahead.

Winding our way through lush, green hills and valleys, past beautiful rivers and lochs, we eventually reach the world-class Glengoyne Highland Single Malt whisky distillery and tasting rooms. Here, we take a break from the hike with a fantastic tour of the distillery – and you can bet that we’ll taste its fine whiskies!

Trekking on, we refuel with a pub lunch and then we’re back on our feet to tackle the rest of the way to Drymen. At last, we approach the Trossachs National Park and Loch Lomond, where our accommodation and dinner awaits, just off the West Highland Way in Drymen.

day 3

drymen – rowardennan | approx. 27km/16.7 miles | +651m/2,136ft ascent

We rise early to breakfast for a mighty day of trekking ahead. A gentle start leads us back onto the main West Highland Way and on to the foot of Conic Hill.

Here, the real hiking begins as we climb at a steady pace over the hill with expansive panoramas that reward us bountifully for the ache in our legs. Once we reach the top, we tuck into a packed lunch and enjoy the view across a patchwork of lush fields and the chain of islands connecting the lowlands and highlands of Scotland.

From here, we can also see the stunning Loch Lomond and we descend after lunch to enter the little village of Balmaha on its eastern shore. We continue north along the shores of the loch and look out for birds diving for fish.

Having conquered today’s toughest climb, we enjoy a tamer trek through a magical ancient oak woodland and finally reach Rowardennan. This small settlement enjoys the backdrop of the mighty Ben Lomond and yet more expansive views of the lake. We settle down at our accommodation for dinner.

day 4

rowardennan – inverarnan | approx. 25km/15.5 miles | +566m/1,857ft ascent

We wake early today and leave our accommodation before breakfast, bringing a packed one with us instead, as we continue trekking north along the eastern shore of Loch Lomond

We follow clear footpaths through historic forests bursting with life, the bright variety of vegetation well-nourished from the neighbouring loch. It’s a long day of walking, but the scenery keeps us smiling and energised, with a picnic lunch along the way to revive us for the afternoon.

Reaching Inversnaid, we’re treated to a footbridge crossing that takes in a breath-taking 620ft-waterfall cascading down into Loch Lomond, a scene that puts into perspective the power of nature.

As we put more distance behind us, our path becomes rockier and we’re likely to encounter a few crags and boulders, which just make our adventure more exciting.

Our day’s walk ends when we enter the postcard-perfect Highland hamlet of Inverarnan at the top of Loch Lomond. Here, we find our accommodation and settle down for a delicious dinner at the famous Drover’s Inn, renowned for its hospitality.

day 5

inverarnan – tyndrum | approx. 20km/12.5 miles | + 1,857ft/566m ascent

Leaving our accommodation and views of Loch Lomond after breakfast, we spend the day following the River Falloch. The landscape opens to expansive views of soaring snow-capped mountains.

We undulate along tracks and old military roads over moderate hills, enjoying mainly smooth surfaces and vistas of the Munros, Highland mountains over 3,000ft/1,345m tall.

Nestled amidst this incredible natural scenery, we encounter the small, historic village of Crainlarich, an important transport link along the West Highland Trainline, the same line followed by the Jacobite Steam Train! We can’t be far behind the iconic steam train now, but you’ll get the awesome optional chance to ride it when we finish in Fort William, a few days from now.

From here, we push on alongside the River Fillan across the valley floor and pass the ancient ruins of St Fillan’s Priory. We now follow the River Cononish all the way to the village of Tyndrum. Here, we enjoy our well-deserved dinner and rest for the night.

day 6

tyndrum – kingshouse | approx. 30km/19 miles | + 2,070ft/631m ascent

Bidding Tyndrum goodbye, we prepare for two days of trekking with no sign of settlements. We follow the West Highland Way route along the line of the Jacobite Steam Train and admire the incredible engineering of the train track. Winding our way through the mountains, we skirt the magnificent Ben Odhar and see the pyramidal peaks of Beinn Dorain towering ahead of us over the Bridge of Orchy.

Before long, we reach the menacing boggy Rannoch Moor, the wildest and most remote part of the entire Highland Way. As such, we’re treated to yet more jaw-dropping panoramas over endless natural scenery – the perfect escape after so long stuck at home in lock-down!

We end our day at the awesome Buchaille Etive Mor (The Great Herdsman of Etive), recognisable from the James Bond Skyfall movie and perhaps the most photographed mountain in Scotland.

We’ve now reached the edge of the amazing Glen Coe, whose steep mountains, waterfalls and swooping valleys make it a top movie spot, featured in Rob Roy, Braveheart, Skyfall and Harry Potter. Tucked amidst this captivating natural scenery, we find our night's accommodation and enjoy a hearty dinner.

day 7

kingshouse – kinlochleven | approx. 17km/10.6 miles| +1,329ft/405m ascent

Starting our day with breakfast at our accommodation, we head further towards the main Glen Coe and then turn south to meet the Devil’s Staircase.

A moderate climb beckons and we zig-zag our way up to the highest point of the Highland Way, a whopping 550m! Needless to say, the panoramas at the top reward us well for our ascent. Here, we revel in the spectacular views of the Buchaille and the beautiful group of mountains known as the Mamores. From here, we should also be able to glimpse the handsome Loch Etive and Glen Etive.

Our trek now eases as we wind through remote hills and finally descend to the first settlement we’ve seen in two days: the picturesque village of Kinlochleven.

With only one day left now to trek, we settle down for dinner and a good night’s rest.

day 8

kinlochlevn – fort william | approx. 26km/16.1 miles | 1,998ft/609m ascent.

Rise and shine to our