Length: 96 miles
Opened: 1980
Route: Begins at Milngavie, passes through Mugdock Country Park, follows the shores of Loch Lomond, passing Ben Lomond, crossing Rannoch Moor, past Buachaille Etive Mor to the head of Glen Coe. Climbing the Devil's Staircase, it descends to sea level to cross the River Leven at Kinlochleven and entering Lairigmor and Glen Nevis before finishing at Gordon Square in Fort William.
Terrain: Ranges from lowland moors, dense woodland and rolling hills to high mountainous regions. The Kingshouse to Kinlochleven stretch has the Devil's Staircase. At 1850ft, it is the highest point along the way. Kinlochleven to Fort William goes through Lairigmor, which has 11 Munros.
What the trail man wrote:
The first of Scotland's system of Great Trails, the West Highland Way dives straight into the heart of the most rugged and romantic swath of the Scottish landscape.
Along the way, it stops in villages such as Rowardennan, where hikers can spend the night in a warm bed, take time out from the trail to tour Loch Lomond, and perhaps dare to sample authentic Scottish haggis washed down with local Glengoyne single malt.
And, if this hike does not feel long enough, it just became a part of the International Appalachian Trail, so you could continue your trek from here into Greenland through Canada and all the way to Maine, since these mountains are part of the same primordial range as the Appalachians in the US.
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