Day 1

You will meet your trip leader in Milngavie, which is a short ride on the bus or train from Glasgow, (or there is free parking available at Milngavie station). Once introductions have been made, (and your bags have been left at the baggage transfer vehicle) your group will start its journey on the West Highland Way. The first day is an 11-mile walk through the countryside to the first night’s campsite, where your bags will be waiting for you. Although this is a longer distance the walking is easy, without any significant hills.

Day 2

Day two is a 10-mile walk through woodland and then over the iconic Conic Hill, and we will get our first views of Loch Lomond, before descending to its shores at Balmaha (with its small shop and cafes) where we will spend the night at our second campsite. If we are unlucky with the weather there is a bad weather alternative route avoiding the exposed moorland of Conic Hill.

Day 3

Day three is a nice short day, at just 6 miles, walking entirely along the east shore of Loch Lomond. We will take our time, but a short day three is no bad thing after two longer days. We will take a relaxed start to the day, leaving camp in the late morning and stopping to enjoy the loch along the way. We will spend the night at Hostel Scotland’s Rowardenen Hostel in shared dorm rooms.

Day 4

Day four is another shorter day, with seven and a half miles of loch-side walking. This section of the path has something of a reputation for being rocky and tough-going, and our short day yesterday starts to make sense – you wouldn’t want to walk this path on tired legs! Thankfully we will be fresh and ready for the challenge. Our campsite for the night is set back from the loch up a short hill.

Day 5

Day five sees us finally finishing Loch Lomond after spending three whole days walking along its length! The walk today is seven miles, with lovely views back down the loch if you take the time to turn around! Our accommodation for the night is Beinglas campsite which has a pub-style restaurant to enjoy at the end of the day.

Day 6

With Loch Lomond behind us, the trail subtly changes as we creep towards the highlands. Our walk today is eleven miles, weaving across the slopes of the moors and through ancient woodland to our campsite in Tyndrum. Tyndrum has a couple of shops and plenty of cafes to restock and recharge, including a small outdoor equipment shop for anybody who has forgotten something or wants to buy better socks! This is also a great time to check you have enough stove fuel for the remainder of the trip…

Day 7

Day seven is nine miles long and is the day we pick up the Old Military Road, which we will follow on and off for the next few days. The views are lovely and it feels increasingly mountainous (although we stay low in the valley and enjoy the hills towering above us). Near the end of the day, we can stop and enjoy a drink at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel, before climbing the final small hill and reaching our Wild Camp for the night, where once again our bags will be waiting for us.

Day 8

The Black Mount! Day eight is the most exposed of the trip – in hot weather, it’s baking hot, in wet weather, it’s soaking wet. Either way, we have eight and a half miles to walk across it! But it’s also stunningly beautiful, crossed by delightful little rivers that make great picnic spots to cool tired feet. Our accommodation for the night is at the Glen Coe ski resort campsite, which also has a cafe.

Day 9

Day nine is the day we climb the Devil’s Staircase (the highest point of the West Highland Way) on our ten-mile route to Kinlochleven. Whilst it has a fearsome reputation, it really isn’t that bad, especially as after nine days of hiking our bodies are feeling fit and strong now. The reward at the end of the day is the shops and cafes in Kinlochleven (our last re-stock point on the trip) and a night at the lovely campsite in the village.

Day 10

Day ten is “The Long One”, as we traverse a wild highland glen headed towards Ben Nevis. Although our route today is a whopping thirteen miles we will tackle it slowly, and there is a lot to see along the way to keep us occupied and interested in the hiking. The climb out of Kinlochleven is genuinely delightful as the trail meanders through lovely woodland. Then we reach the open glen, with its abandoned crofts. Finally, we descend into Glen Nevis and our campsite for the night which has a restaurant to enjoy after our longest day on the trail.

Day 11

The last day! After our epic walk the day before we will be glad that today is mostly a formality – just four miles separate our campsite and the end of the West Highland Way in Fort William. Feeling like heroes we will walk through the town and join the foot-sore statues at the trail terminus. We’ve done it! We will take time for a celebratory drink in a cafe before exchanging contact details with new friends, saying our goodbyes and heading our separate ways. Fort William has regular trains and buses back to Glasgow (and Milngavie), or why not stay a few days and enjoy Fort William or see a bit more of the highlands?

The trip price includes

• Eleven days of guided hiking along the West Highland Way.
• Bag transfer for all your camping equipment.
• A qualified and experienced female leader.
• Hike as part of a group of twelve women, with both a female leader AND assistant leader.
• Eight nights campsite accommodation.
• One night hostel accommodation.
• One night Wild Camping.
• Support and advice before the trip to help you choose equipment and food.

The trip price does not include

• Equipment – although we may be able to arrange the hire of camping equipment from the Gloucestershire Women’s Adventure Group (Love Her Wild) for a small donation – please email us to check.
• Food or drink for the duration of your trip.
• Car parking or transfers to the start or from the end points of your adventure. Both the starting and end of this trip are accessible by public transport.

This is a camping-based adventure, with all our kit being transferred by vehicle between our accommodations.

You will need

• All of the equipment that is listed on our hiking kit list, including a day-sack to carry it in.
• All of the equipment that is listed on our camping kit list. Your tent MUST be a small one or two-person backpacking tent to comply with campsite rules.
• A large rucksack or holdall (ideally waterproof) to hold all your kit for the baggage transfer service.
• Food for the duration of your trip.
• Spending money to treat yourself at trailside cafes and honesty boxes along the route.

You can find all our sample kit lists here, and detailed kit lists will be sent out by email after you have booked your adventure with us.

Before booking your adventure with us please take a few minutes to read our Booking Terms and Conditions which you can find here.