The West Highland Way - Scotland
July/August 2019
With Amy’s 30th birthday approaching, we had grand plans for an atypical, but hopefully unforgettable, week away. Our hope was to complete the West Highland Way, famous 96 mile trail which runs from the north of Glasgow to Fort William in the Highlands - something we'd been training for since earlier that year.
It’s difficult to do service to the immense natural beauty of the Scottish highlands, so instead of wasting words on it, check out the photos below – they relate to each of the 6 days of our hike, where were as follows:
Milngavie to Drymen - 19km
Drymen to Rowardennen – 24km
Rowardennan to Crianlarich – 33km
Crianlarich to Bridge of Orchy – 20km
Bridge of Orchy to Kinnlochleven – 34km
Kinnlochleven to Fort William – 24km
Having previously hiked in Nepal, I was surprised at how hard I found the West Highland Way overall. Whilst not technically that challenging, the trails were long and unforgiving – the distance alone being punishing at times. That being said, I feel that anyone with the interest, a fair amount of general fitness, and a good pair of boots could get it done within a week. I’d strongly recommend it to anyone who plans to spend a bit of time up this way. Just bring lots of water, insect repellent, and a midge net…
For those not in the know, midges are a much hated insect in Scotland; tiny biting critters, sort of like a mosquito, but so small you can barely see or notice them – that is, until you are covered in viciously uncomfortable welts. We spent the majority of our last day well and truly covered in the beasts.
But I can’t really complain - the hike was well and truly amazing and we were blessed with fine weather. The trail seemed to wind endlessly through the landscape like a ribbon. Diligently, we marched along solemn lochs and through tranquil forests; again and again climbing over the next hill or around the next bend.
The highlands just seem so much removed from everything. Remote, isolated, and at times barren, but somehow comforting – it’s a peculiar, yet sublime, feeling. It certainly clears your head.
Dragging ourselves in to Fort William late on Friday afternoon, we were in an almost exhausted euphoria. We sat at the finish line for a time before stumbling to a high street ice creamery for some much needed sugar.
The next day was dedicated recovery: a late start, big breakfast, and a relaxed walk around the town. Fort William had a very touristy vibe, which I wasn’t quite expecting. For having walking 6 days north through the wilderness, it was just a bit strange to end up in a town where everyone was clearly a tourist, with many different accents and languages hanging in the air.
Over the next few days we kept ourselves busy in the Fort William surrounds. We walked to Neptune’s staircase in Banavie, enjoying a gelato on the way there and a pint at The Lochy on the way back. We wandered the canal trail past the Old boat of Caol to Auld Inverlochy Castle. We enjoyed a few slow pints at the Grog and Gruel. We spent some time looking up at Ben Nevis, wondering if we had the energy to try and climb it this trip...
The finale of our week away was to be catching the West Coast Railway along the Glenfinnan Viaduct, made famous in Harry Potter – you’ll recognise it.
An unexpected surprise came in Mallaig, the unassuming and somewhat uninviting coastal town at the end of the line – we stumbled across many, many old photographs of people with the last name Gillies in the Heritage Centre records. Perhaps there was a reason Amy was always drawn to Scotland…
Soon enough we were on the bus back to Glasgow, covering the distance we walked in the last 6 days in a few hours. I felt a satisfying mix of emotions: accomplishment, exhausted happiness, and a strange melancholy longing – I think because I couldn’t spend more time lost up in the highlands somewhere.
I think I’ll have to go back soon. Oban, the Cairngorms, Inveraray, and the Isles await.
JC
“It’s an irritating reality that many places and events defy description. Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu, for instance, seem to demand silence, like a love affair you can never talk about. For a while after, you fumble for words, trying vainly to assemble a private narrative, an explanation, a comfortable way to frame where you’ve been and what’s happened. In the end, you’re just happy you were there — with your eyes open — and lived to see it.”
Anthony Bourdain
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