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Discover the dramatic landscape of the Scottish Highlands on a 96-mile hiking trek over 7 days with Chicas Abroad. This epic adventure begins in Glasgow where we will meet up for a quick train ride to the start of our trek in Milngavie. From there we will traverse the countryside to Fort William at the base of Ben Nevis, following ancient paths and historic military roads.
We will be spoiled with only having to carry our daypack each day with water, snacks, lunch, and other essentials, while a courier service will transport our luggage to our next destination. Once we arrive at our hotel each afternoon/evening, our luggage will be awaiting us. It doesn't get any better than this!
Along the 96-mile journey we will enjoy views of Loch Lomond, the Trossachs National Park, and Rannoch Moor. There will be plenty of stops along our route to enjoy Scottish whiskey and other local treats. The Chicas will climb Devil’s Staircase, which marks the highest point of the hike, and after just a few more miles, we will arrive at our final destination of Fort William, Scotland’s Outdoor Capital, where we will celebrate our achievement of tackling the West Highland Way (WHW)!
After completing the long trek, and a good night's rest, the group will take a scenic train ride back to Glasgow where you can choose to depart for home, or continue on to Edinburgh for a weekend of sightseeing and fun (and no more hiking, unless you choose to)! The Edinburgh Weekend is an additional cost and can be added at check-out as an Add-On option.
Read on for more details...
This trek is rated as hard due to the overall miles covered in the back-to-back 7 days of hiking. Each day will be moderate level hiking with some elevation gain, but when you add up all the days on your feet, it is a difficult 96-mile trek. You will need to train for this trek by doing long distance walks/hikes. The itinerary outlines the mileage we will cover each day in more detail.
To prepare for this adventure, you should train to be able to hike an average of a 30-minute/mile over these long mileage days. The route is often remote and there may not be an option to stop hiking midday by calling an Uber (unless there is a true medical emergency), so be sure you are ready for hiking 96 miles over 7 days!
Plan your international flight to arrive in Glasgow (airport code GLA) by 4:00pm. The group will meet up at the airport and make our way to Milngavie via train transport. We will check into our rooms and enjoy a hearty welcome dinner to fuel up for the big trek ahead of us!
Accommodation: Milngavie Bed & Breakfast
Meals Included: Welcome Dinner
After setting off from Milngavie, today’s route runs through the ancient earldom of Lennox between the Campsie Fells and Blane Water. We will follow a series of well-maintained paths through beautiful rural scenery to Drymen, a small and charming village. We will likely stop midway along the route at the Glengoyne Distillery, where we can take a tour and enjoy a wee dram to assist us for the rest of the trek. Also en route is the Beech Tree Inn, complete with beer garden and delicious fare.
Note on Luggage: Our suitcases will be couriered each day to our next lodging location. You will just need to carry a daypack with water, food, and other necessities, along the route.
Note on Lunches: Each bed and breakfast along the route offers a packed lunch for a fee of around $5-10 per person. This is an additional cost that is not included in the package. There will be places along the route most days to purchase snacks, water, etc.
Note on Dinners: To keep the package trip cost low and to allow you to choose your own meals to best fuel your body for these long and strenuous days, dinners are not included in the package (with the exception of the Welcome and Farewell Dinners) and will be at your own expense. There will be restaurants available each evening at the bed and breakfast or nearby.
Trek is rated as Moderate, 12 miles with 400' elevation gain
Accommodation: Drymen Bed and Breakfast
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we will leave Drymen and walk through a forest plantation before the ascent of Conic Hill, which sits astride the Great Divide separating the highlands and lowlands of Scotland. The climb is fairly steep but on reaching the summit we will enjoy fantastic views over Loch Lomond, Britain’s largest body of fresh water covering 27 square miles. Then we will descend a steep path towards Balmaha, a small village nestling in a protected bay on the shores of bonnie Loch Lomond.
From Balmaha the path alternates between the loch shore, natural forest, and headlands. There are numerous short steep climbs along this section of the route. The scenery, forest, and birdlife between Balmaha and Rowardennan are outstanding.
Trek is rated as Moderate, 14.5 miles with 1,400' elevation gain
Accommodation: Rowardennan Bed and Breakfast
Meals Included: Breakfast
Many claim that today's hike is the most challenging, but also the most beautiful! After a hearty breakfast, we will lace up our hiking boots and head out on day 3 of our trek! Let's hope nobody is suffering from any blisters or hot spots on their feet!
As we leave Rowardennan, the West Highland Way follows forestry roads and gently climbs high up above Loch Lomond, giving fantastic views over the water and towards the peaks of the Arrochar Alps. As we close in on Inversnaid the path narrows and becomes more undulating, passing over a spectacular bridge and waterfall on our way to Inverarnan.
Trek is rated as Moderate, 14.5 miles with 700' elevation gain
Accommodation: Inverarnan Bed and Breakfast
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we will enjoy spectacular views of Mighty Ben More and Stob Binnean, and the views looking back down towards Loch Lomond are first class. After Crianlarich we will enjoy a period of secluded woodland walking before making our way back to the valley floor and through farmland surrounded by towering highland scenery. We will make our way across moorland to the busy little village of Tyndrum where we will spend the night.
Trek is rated as Moderate, 12 miles with 1,150' elevation gain
Accommodation: Tyndrum Bed and Breakfast
Meals Included: Breakfast
The scenery as we leave Tyndrum is stunning. Initially we will follow the valley to Bridge of Orchy with the magnificient Beinn Dorain in view. There is a steep climb as we leave Bridge of Orchy, but we are rewarded with some of the best views in Scotland. A short descent brings us to the isolated Inveroran Hotel where we can grab a snack and drink.
What follows is arguably the most scenic section of the West Highland Way. We will leave Inveroran and skirt Loch Tulla before joining the track across Rannoch Moor - a wonderful, lonely and exposed place that was once covered by a giant icecap and is today covered in bog. The 17th century Kingshouse Hotel affords the best views of Buachaille Etive Mor, Scotland’s most photographed mountain.
Once we arrive in Kingshouse, we will hop on a shuttle that will take us to our accommodations in Glencoe.
Trek is rated as Moderate, 19 miles with 1,650' elevation gain
Accommodation: Glencoe Bed and Breakfast
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we will enjoy a bit of a shorter day of hiking with only 9 miles.
After our shuttle transfer back to Kingshouse where we left the trail yesterday, we will follow a track to Altnafeadh, which reveals great views of the famous ‘weeping glen’ and site of the Glencoe Massacre in 1692. We will zigzag up the Devil’s Staircase to the highpoint of the West Highland Way at 548m (1,650'), giving stunning views towards Ben Nevis in clear weather. After taking a million photos, we will wind our way down into the small town of Kinlochleven for a relaxing evening.
Trek is rated as Moderate, 9 miles with 1,020' elevation gain
Accommodation: Kinlochleven Bed and Breakfast
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today is our last day of hiking and we will reach our final destination - Fort William!
We will begin our day with an initial sharp climb out of Kinlochleven into the Mamores where we will encounter fantastic views. Once over the top, we will follow a wonderfully remote valley past deserted sheilings towards Fort William. We will enter a beautiful area of cultivated forest and follow a narrow winding track into Glen Nevis. We will enjoy more views of the towering Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain. The final two miles are along the Glen Nevis road (a bit underwhelming, but we will remember all of the previous spectacular views), bringing us to the official end of the West Highland Way at the main street of Fort William, where our adventure comes to a close.
Tonight we will celebrate with a farewell dinner and reminisce about our amazing adventure!
Trek is rated as Moderate, 15 miles with 1,500' elevation gain
Accommodation: Fort William Bed and Breakfast
Meals Included: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner
Today we will have one last adventure (unless you are staying on for the Edinburgh Weekend add-on) on the West Highland Line scenic train ride from Fort William to Glasgow. This route is considered by many as the most scenic rail journey in the world. We are going to enjoy resting our weary legs and feet on this 4 hour ride across the countryside.
We plan to arrive in Glasgow city center around noon, so if you are departing today, please schedule your flights out for late afternoon/evening to allow plenty of time to get to the airport.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Edinburgh Weekend: If you are joining us on the Edinburgh Weekend adventure, we will catch a train from Glasgow to Edinburgh for the next part of our adventure!
Accommodation: Apex City Hotel, Edinburgh
Enjoy a relaxing morning resting up your tired body before we hit the streets of Edinburgh in the afternoon for a food and drink tour of the city, along with learning about the history. We will eat several small meals and enjoy drinks in the new and old parts of the city while walking the ancient city streets. There will even be an opportunity to try haggis!
The evening is yours to do as you please and enjoy this beautiful city.
Accommodation: Apex City Hotel, Edinburgh
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner during walking tour
For anyone feeling like stretching their legs in the morning, we will head to the top of the iconic Arthur's Seat which overlooks Edinburgh and offers spectacular views. The trail is approximately 2.6 miles in length with an elevation gain of 885', however, it's about a 1 mile walk to the trailhead from the hotel, so total mileage will be closer to 5 miles. This is an optional hike and you may choose to either join us or do your own thing! No judgment!
Later in the day we will do a tour of the stunning Edinburgh Castle that sits perilously on a cliff overlooking the city.
We will finish out our day with a Farewell Dinner and enjoy our last pint or dram at a local pub and say goodbye to our new lifelong friends and travel buddies.
Trek to Arthur's Seat is rated as Moderate at 2.6 miles (plus 2ish miles through the city to reach the trailhead and return to hotel) and an elevation gain of 885' - this is an optional hike, but highly recommended, especially if the weather is nice. The views are totally worth the climb!
Accommodation: Apex City Hotel, Edinburgh
Meals Included: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner & Drink
Book your flight to leave anytime today from Edinburgh. Once we have everyone's flight information, we will coordinate rides to the airport (this will be an additional charge of approximately $10-40 depending on ride sharing).
Meals Included: Breakfast
During the West Highland Way trek, we will be hiking each day no matter the weather. Be prepared for rain or sunshine! If you choose not to hike one of the days due to illness/injury/fatigue, the Chicas Abroad tour leader will assist you in arranging transport to our next destination, but this will be an additional cost.
INCLUDED:
NOT INCLUDED:
Registration: $2750
Non-refundable deposit of $750 due at booking
Final payment due July 4, 2024
(Custom payment plans available)
Single Room Supplement available for $650
Edinburgh Weekend Add-On (Sept 12-14)
$1250
Limited to 10 Chicas so we can enjoy a
small group adventure!
Chicas Abroad, LLC
info@chicasabroad.com
Copyright © 2024 Chicas Abroad - All Rights Reserved.
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