Category Archives: Scotland

Day Three – Rowardennan to Crainlarich- 20 Miles

Morning panorama of Loch Lomond

Day three was going to be my longest day, that much I knew, clocking in at 20 miles. What I didn’t know, was that the trail along Loch Lomond was going to be the slowest hiking of the whole trail.

(NOTE: Please excuse the blurry photos on this page. The lighting was bad and I didn’t use my flash. Sorry!)

I left as soon as I was done with my breakfast and got on the trail. The first part is on easy, but on a very hard packed service road that wanders higher and higher up from Rowardennan. You get some nice views over the Loch now and again, but for the most part, this was pretty boring section of trail. Check out the pictures below for some examples.

A nice spot to take a breather

There is a “low” path I had wanted to take instead of this easier road but it was closed off for construction. Instead, I was forced to keep pressing on down this boring stretch until the low ground was finally accessible. I was glad that I made it down to the lower trail when I could because it was much more scenic and there were even some old ruins along the way which were pretty cool.

The low path of out of Rowardennan

Ruins on the low path

As the trail continued, I started to get into some of the sections where the trail starts to get more demanding. These parts aren’t hard, but you really have to watch where you are stepping. It is up and down large rock steps and there are tree roots that can get in the way. If the roots are wet, which they probably will be, this gets really slippery. This was the section that I was really happy to have brought along a pair of treking poles for. They gave me the balance I needed in several spots to get down comfortably.

A charming bridge along the way

If you get adventurous and want to do some scrambling, you can go see Rob Roy’s supposed cave. I walked back far enough to see the large “CAVE” painted on the side, but I didn’t want to have to drop my gear to scramble over rocks to get inside. I doubt this was really his cave anyway. There are all kinds of rock shelters along the way that people could have used as a cave to hide out in whether on the run or for shelter from the rain. This seemed more of a way to make the hikers and people on the boat feel like they were seeing something special from history. Whatever the reason, its fun to think he hung out there so what the hell, right?

A low viewpoint of Loch Lomond

A cool “ladder” to climb up

I kept trudging along, up and down the rocks and over the stumps and finally came to a really cool waterfall that empties out into Loch Lomond. The water was pouring down pretty steadily and it was nice to see something new after the many miles along the loch. There is a nice bridge you cross which allows for some nice views of the falls from above.

The falls are right by the Inversnaid Hotel which sits right on the water and on a nice little port where to boats come in from the loch. I took advantage of the picnic tables with great views and ate my lunch. There are a lot of tour boats which stop here so if you have time and aren’t rushed, it might be a good spot to catch the ferry for a boat tour of the area.

I reviewed my distance and checked my watch and saw that I was running behind my original schedule. I had planned on my normal 3mph average but with all the ups and downs I was going at about the 1.5 – 2 mph pace for the last 3 1/2 hours and I was behind schedule. In order to complete the 20 miles by 6 PM or so, I was going to have to keep up a pretty solid pace for the remainder of the day.

I left the hotel and continued along the loch trails which were pretty similar to the earlier path. It eventually opens up into a wide grassy expanse where the loch starts to taper down into its northern shores. It was a welcome change of scenery and before I went further north, I stopped for a moment to look back down the long loch that I had just walked almost the entire length of. It was a beautiful view and it would be the last moments of sun I would enjoy for the day as the Scottish clouds settled in and cast the lighting of dusk on me the rest of the day.

The next several miles of trail start to present a more highland feel to them as I was more exposed than I was along Loch Lomond. There was a lot of up and down, small hill climbing and visually it was OK, but it wasn’t particularly amazing. I did get to see some feral goats along the trail but I never smelled them as some others said. There were also a lot of small little toads that would run out into the trail from time to time. I had to keep an eye down on the trail for several miles so I didn’t smash any of the cute little fellas with my boot.

One of the cute little toads underfoot

Several miles away from the loch, I made it to the Beinglas Farm Campsite. It was a nice break and they have a nice pub / restaurant on the site which is super cool and cozy inside. It was a heavily wooded establishment and there were cool swords hanging on the wall. My feet were hurting a bit by this point so I decided to kick off my boots and have myself a pint.

While enjoying my pint, I took a look at the map and saw I still had a good 6 mile hike up to Crainlarich. I didn’t have a lot of time to dilly dally and I needed to get back on the road. I threw my boots back on, hit the trail and powered through the next miles under the dark Scottish skies.

This part of the trail was a mixed bag for me because it has some great scenery on it. The highlands are around you, a river runs along the trail for several stretches with some nice falls and you get to visit with the local sheep who share the trail. You also get to enjoy a lot of traffic from the road that runs right along the trail. There are also big power lines that break up the great views. All the modern “progress” made me miss the dirt trails and seclusion of the forest, now that I was being thrust back into civilization.

An example of the power lines

The worst part for me though, was the type of trail you are walking on. It is the flat, stony, old military roads that do nothing but make your feet hurt, mile after mile. This was my first real experience on the trail with this surface, but I had to get used to it because I was going to be on it for a lot of upcoming miles. This is where I started to get my first and only blisters of the trail as well which I covered that night and didn’t worry about again.

Panorama of the Scottish Highlands

Six miles later, I reached the turnoff sign for Crainlarigh and my feet had had enough for the day. I followed the sign to the East and took the trail, finally dirt, down into town. It’s not a gentle decent and I knew the next morning I was going to be treated with an uphill climb to even reach the West Highland Way trail again. My knees were getting a bit sore during this decent so I was happy to almost be done for the day.

I wandered through town on my way to the Inverardran House at the far eastern end. It was a cute little town and there is a grocery store with a post office to stock up in. Other than that, there are a few B&B’s and a hostel for lodging, and I think only two restaurants in town to get a bite to eat.

Inverardran House

The Iverardran House which was a great place to stay that night and it was very cozy. The owner was very welcoming and he even brought my bag up to my room which Travel Lite magically made appear earlier in the day. It was a nice gesture and it allowed me to start relaxing as quickly as possible. I would recommend staying here to anyone. The rooms are very nice and the breakfast in the morning was one of the best I had on the trail.

After I got a shower, I went across the street and crushed some really delicious dinner at the Ben More Lodge. The fish and chips were awesome after the long day and I got to enjoy the cozy, old school atmosphere of the place. There were paintings above the bar of the legends of Scottish history and each of the bar stools were wearing their own kilt. It was pretty awesome.

The night I was there was the evening of the Scottish referendum vote so it was a bit lively with political talk and discussions about what was going to happen. My favorite thing about the night was a guy walking around in a jacket displaying a “YES” pin for independence. The pin was just the warmup as underneath he had on a Braveheart T-shirt with Mel Gibson raising his sword above his head, covered in face paint and above him, in old celtic font, “Freedom!” was proudly displayed. It was exactly what I had hoped to see on such an evening and it was the perfect ending to the third day on the trail.

Pros:

– The trail along Loch Lomond has some nice views and the geology is cool.
– Feral goats.
– Cool waterfall and old ruins along the trail.
– First real highland trails.

Cons:

– Hard walking on the old, rocky, military roads during the last 6 miles.
– Route between Inverarnan and Crainlarich follows a busy road and you can’t escape the traffic noise.
– Power lines stretch across the beautiful scenery which takes away from the views.

West Highland Way – Photo Guide and Review by Day

Milngavie – Drymen – 12 miles
Drymen – Rowardennan – 15 miles
Rowardennan – Crainlarich – 20 miles
Crainlarich – Inveroran – 15 miles
Inveroran – Kinlochleven – 19 miles
Kinlochleven – Fort William – 16 miles

Day Two- Drymen to Rowardennan – 12 Miles

After a noisy night in Drymen, I woke up and ate my first delicious Scottish breakfast. It was quite tasty but boy did I feel like shit afterwords. Way too much food and there weren’t nearly enough carbs in it for my taste. I felt sluggish for the first hour or so from it on the walk until all the grease settled. On later days, I would add a bowl of Scottish porridge to the mix and that was a nice carb heavy dish that gave me way more energy for the day. On this second day, I was just getting in the groove and I didn’t know any better

My first full Scottish breakfast

I hit the road and made my way out of Drymen and got back on the trail where I left off the day before. The first stretch was really quiet and I ran into a few locals on the trail who I stopped and chatted with for a few moments. The people were super friendly and it made for a pleasurable way to start the day.

Lumber

Trail through the forests

The early miles of this section takes one through some lumber forests which are still in use. Parts are still growing and other areas are totally barren where a harvest was taken. All the while you start to climb a bit higher and soon you get to some nice views of Loch Lomond and what lies ahead on the adventure.

I kept pressing forward and off in the distance I got my first views of Conic Hill. This is the first real climb of the trail and it isn’t nearly as bad as it may look. Up until then I had been spoiled by pretty easy walking. Now it was time to just suck it up and drive up this bad boy. It was a nice change and I welcomed the ability to get my blood flowing and work off all the food I ate at breakfast.

Conic Hill

When you climb Conic Hill, be sure that when you get to the top reaches of the trail that you climb up to the actual summit. It will only take another 2 minutes and it is totally worth it. It’s an awesome view and you can tell all your facebook friends that you summited a mountain. Congratulations! I ate my lunch up on the top too and soaked in the views.

Conic Hill trail

The walk down Conic Hill was great. As I got lower down the slopes, I entered into an old forest. It has some really awesome tall pines with their canopy well above your head and ferns covering the ground below. It is really charming and it is like nothing else on the trail. Enjoy it while you are there because you won’t get to see anything else like it.

After the forest, you will arrive in the small town of Balmaha which sits right on Loch Lomond. This is a big launching off point for boats and many are docked there. There were some cafes in town but I didn’t linger there to check them out. It would be a great place to stop for lunch if you didn’t pack anything along with you. Its also the first time you are really close to the water and it seemed pretty charming.

The next stretch of the trail, all the way to Rowardennan, will take you along the banks of Loch Lomond and up and down the work of ancient glaciers that deposited their harvest. It was very pleasurable once you get off the roads, but again, just like day 1, there is more walking on the road than I would have liked. Once again, I am removed from quiet trails and I am thrust back into civilization. My ears didn’t like it and my feet were never happy on the asphalt.

A trail just outside Balmaha

Speaking of civilization, this was by far the most crowded day of the hike. There are a lot of visitors to Loch Lomond and they hike the same trails as the West Highland Way. I’m not a big fan of walking with a bunch of people so this day was a bit disappointing from that perspective. It wasn’t unmanageable but it definitely would have been a lot more enjoyable if people weren’t talking loudly and they were a bit more considerate of faster walkers behind them.

A nice beach on Loch Lomond

After several miles through the forest, I easily reached the Rowardennan Youth Hostel where I was staying for the night. I could have kept going and I wish that I would have as day three was a bit on the long side. Regardless, the hostel was nice and I would recommend it to others. I had a private room and unlike hostels in Germany, the beds were made and I didn’t have to bother with anything.

After a shower, I made my way back to the Rowardennan Hotel for dinner and a few pints. The food was OK, nothing special, and a bit pricy since they had the only food for sale other than the hostel in the area. There is a great patio out back where you can get some nice views of the Loch while you eat and enjoy your pints.

Rowardennan Youth Hostel

After dinner I ventured back in the dark with my head lamp, or torch if you are from Scotland. Midway back I shut it off and was greeted with a clear, star soaked sky which was breathtaking. Being an urban dweller in the US all my life, you don’t get to see a clear night sky like this as because of all the light pollution. I was super lucky to have gotten such a clear night and it is a moment I won’t forget.

After enjoying the universe, I made my way to my room and got ready for my longest day of hiking that laid before me. I would be up early to get breakfast as soon as it was offered and get out on the trail as quick as I could.

Pros:

– A wide variety of scenery.
– The slightly more challenging walk provided a greater sense of accomplishment than the previous day.
– The top of Conic Hill is a great place to eat lunch and enjoy the scenery.
– The geology along Loch Lomond is fascinating.

Cons:

– The most crowded day of the hike.
– A bit too much walking on concrete.
– A lot of road noise the last half of the hike.

West Highland Way – Photo Guide and Review by Day

Milngavie – Drymen – 12 miles
Drymen – Rowardennan – 15 miles
Rowardennan – Crainlarich – 20 miles
Crainlarich – Inveroran – 15 miles
Inveroran – Kinlochleven – 19 miles
Kinlochleven – Fort William – 16 miles

This September I took a trip to Scotland and while I was there I hiked the 96 mile West Highland Way. It is the “premier” hiking trail of Scotland and runs from the small town of Milngavie (pronounced mull – guy) to Fort William and covers a wide range of environments from rolling farmland to the Scottish highlands.

Before I left, I looked around online for information about the trail and I found that a lot of the stuff out there about it that was pretty lackluster to be honest. I found it hard to plan my trip based on my personal level of fitness from other peoples reviews or guides. Some people would say things that parts of the trail were hard or easy, without giving a background of their own level of fitness or the types of environments that they typically hiked in.

Cows enjoying the view of the first “hills” of the West Highland Way

That said, I want to start this guide by detailing my personal background with hiking and my fitness level prior to walking the trail. I’m a 34 year old male and I am in pretty good shape. I run regularly, about 10-15 miles a week, and I do some hiking on the weekends. I live in Colorado and I spend a good amount of time climbing around on trails that have quite a bit of elevation change, sometimes over very short distances.

To me, a “hard” hike would be one that gains about 2,000 – 3,000 feet of elevation over a distance of say, 3 or so miles. I would say an “easy” hike is one that is relatively flat and goes up and down in elevations of a couple of hundred feet each time, but only a couple of times over the course of the hike. Then, obviously, “moderate” would fall in the middle of those two.

So, where does the West Highland Way fall on the difficulty scale? I would say it is somewhere in a “low-moderate” category. It’s not hard by any stretch, but its also not a cakewalk the whole way either. Some days are easier than others and some days are harder than they should be because of the types of “trail” you are walking on. I was never completely tired and worn out on the trail but there were times when the going was a bit slower than it should have been a couple of days because of sore feet.

Here is what my itinerary looked like with links to go straight to a certain day’s review:

Day 1: Milngavie – Drymen – 12 miles
Day 2: Drymen – Rowardennan – 15 miles
Day 3: Rowardennan – Crainlarich – 20 miles
Day 4: Crainlarich – Inveroran – 15 miles
Day 5: Inveroran – Kinlochleven – 19 miles
Day 6: Kinlochleven – Fort William – 16 miles

The average duration for the people I talked to seemed to be anywhere from 5-7 days to complete the hike, with some people even doing it over 8 or an unthinkable 9 days. The six days I did it in was not a breakneck pace and I had enough time to take a lot of photos and enjoy some breaks along with way to enjoy a pint. Any more than 6 days though and I would have been really bored. Really, really bored.

There isn’t a lot to see in the places you stop along the way. All the little villages with lodging are very small and since you won’t have any transport, its not easy to go out and explore around the area. Plus the surrounding landscape isn’t much different than what you just spent the day walking through.

The beginnings of the old military roads…

I used the baggage carrier service Travel Lite to carry my bags on the trail and I was glad that I did. After lugging my crap around Edinburgh, Stirling and Glasgow for a week before I did the long walk, just getting rid of my big rucksack felt like a vacation in itself. These guys are like magicians.

You meet them just under the big “West Highland Way” arch that marks the start of the trail, give them your bags and you never see them again. Your bag however, seems to warp between locations and end up right where you need it. It’s the single best money that I spent on the trip and I would use these baggage wizards again any day.

Here is their website if you are interested in booking with them:

http://travel-lite-uk.com/

For my guide to the West Highland Way, I will be breaking the post into several parts to document each of the different segments that I did, complete with photos from the trail that I haven’t found anywhere else online. This was another problem I had with the online guides before I left. They had maps and a couple of photos, but they never really showed you what the trail actually looked like. This could be a pretty big determining factor for people with limited vacation time or funds so I wanted to give people an accurate view of what they were getting themselves into.

West Highland Way – Photo Guide and Review by Day

Milngavie – Drymen – 12 miles
Drymen – Rowardennan – 15 miles
Rowardennan – Crainlarich – 20 miles
Crainlarich – Inveroran – 15 miles
Inveroran – Kinlochleven – 19 miles
Kinlochleven – Fort William – 16 miles