It was a morning full of delights: waking up in a comfy bed with time to snooze, seeing the clear blue sky from the bedroom window, enjoying a lazy and delicious breakfast overlooking the loch, and putting on “regular clothes and shoes” for my day off. My friend was going back to London that morning and I had decided to stretch my time here before the long commute home, a wise choice after just completing the West Highland Way.

Fort William is rarely considered a destination in itself, rather a jumping off point to the various stunning sights nearby of Ben Nevis, Glencoe, Glenfinnan, etc. I felt I had done enough touring these past few days (!) and was looking forward to relax and explore the town at a slow place. What better way to start than on the water?

I booked a sightseeing cruise first thing in the morning with Cruise Loch Linnhe – the weather was just too good to wait until the afternoon and risk it!

Oh the joy of feeling the sun on my face and the cool sea breeze without having to move my legs! Joking aside, I surprisingly wasn’t as sore as I thought I would be after my 95-mile walk but really enjoyed the luxury of sitting and watching the beautiful scenery pass by as we glided away from Fort William.

Loch Linnhe is about 10 miles long and 1 mile wide and the two-hour boat trip is just the right length to see the most interesting sights and some wildlife.

There are also very modern, industrial scenes as you pass by lumber processing facilities right on the shore.

The imposing silhouette of Ben Nevis was always in the background, looming over Fort William.

Traditional dwellings of smallholders contrasted vividly with the rugged landscapes.

Salmon farms also dotted the shores to supply booming demand.

We were on our way to see a different kind of animal though as we approached a black, rocky outcrop.

Black Rock, affectionately known as ‘Seal Island’ amongst locals, is a sanctuary for both the Common and Atlantic Grey seals that call Loch Linnhe home.

We turned off the engine and glided in silence around the colony to get a closer look at these charming creatures.

As we made our way back to Fort William, the skipper stopped at a calculated viewpoint to show us the “elephant”, an amusing and quite effective illusion of the mountains showing as a lovely pachyderm with Ben Nevis as the head – worth the photo op!

Back on land, time to explore Fort William’s compact center and its pedestrian-only High Street. It starts by the end of the West Highland Way and its “sore feet statue” – it was just a bit too early in the day to witness the arrivals of proud walkers!

In Cameron Square, an unmissable statue commemorates the Model T that was successfully driven to the top of Ben Nevis in 1911 as a publicity stunt.

The square is also home to a delightful seafood restaurant, Crannog at Garrison West.

The kind of elevated pub I love so much, bringing equal part warmth and sophisticated food.

The daily specials on the chalkboard menu were all incredibly tempting and in front of too many choices I end up often going for a tasting of sort which was divine – bisque, gin-cured smoked salmon, crab salad, garlic king prawns, and homemade soda bread.

The vanilla and ginger cheesecake didn’t disappoint either.

The rest of the afternoon was spent absorbing the history and gothic architecture in between light rain showers.

The High Street, clearly catering to the taste of the many passing tourists, had plenty of West Highland Way memorabilia, enough tartan and tweed to cover its 100-mile length, and a few eclectic art galleries if you dreamt of filling your home with paintings of Highland cows.

There was only one way I knew to close out my trip to Scotland – an unfussy and comforting meal of “haggis neeps n’ tatties” in a tavern with a strong local beer. It hit all the right spots and would send me to sleep pronto.

Thankfully there was still time for one last loch side walk at sunset …

Au revoir Fort William! Took a morning bus back to Glasgow (sadly the train wasn’t running on Sunday mornings) which appeared to be equally as scenic!

This bus ride was truly a revelation – not only did it retrace our entire West Highland Way trek in reverse, it did it in just over 3 hours!!! I was glued to the window, reliving the last 7 days and squinting to spot walkers amid the rugged scenery whizzing by. The only thing really that was completely missing was day 5 and the 13 or so miles we did without any road or civilization in sight.

So yes, the Highlands are spectacular and you can get a pretty good view from the seat of a train or a bus but honestly, walking the West Highland Way is truly the best way to take them all in. Go slow my friends or you’ll miss the best bits!

This was it, the last early morning prep of bandaging our feet and stretching our now well-oiled muscles for the final 15 mile leg. Hard to believe we’d be crossing the finish line in Fort William this afternoon which meant nearly 85 miles now separated us from where we started in Milngavie just 6 days ago… Tiny Kinlochleven was just waking up too, waiting for the sun to rise above the mountain range to warm up the village.

A generous breakfast of local smoked kipper and eggs started the day just right with a healthy protein boost. I was really going to miss being served such comforting and delicious local dishes by cheery Scots every morning!

In less than 5 minutes we had crossed Kinlochleven on its single road, on our way to the mountains!

We soon left the pavement to follow a steep, winding climb out of the village through birch trees.

This surprise workout quickly gave us fantastic views over Loch Leven and Kinlochleven, both hugged by beautiful mountains on each side.

We emerged from the trees to find ourselves on a wide and familiar military road.

Another wonderfully remote valley was the backdrop to our morning walk.

After a week of sharing the path (and sometimes B&Bs) with other walkers, there was a definite camaraderie that had built up. We recognized each other on the trail by our jackets, gait, comrades, etc. and enthusiastically traded walking partners to get to know each other a bit more. It was probably a mix of excitement at the approaching conclusion of our common physical challenge and need for social connection in such a remote area that made everyone so talkative on day 7 – it was a blast!

Sometimes we’d just sigh deeply looking all around with a big grin. No words were needed even among complete strangers to express how lucky we felt to be in such a stunning place.

With only a few derelict farmhouses, shelters, and the occasional sheep as photo diversions, the chatter and new introductions continued all day.

Halfway through, the landscape changed to a beautiful area of cultivated forest. The narrowed path started undulating up and down with a few gate crossings to keep the sheep in.

We soon got our first sight of the day of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain, with a light snow cover at the top.

It would dip in and out of view as we zigzagged our way through a series of dense conifer plantations.

The final descent was on a wide forest track, quite unremarkable except for the occasional views of the “suburbs” of Fort William.

Once you make it down, you have to walk along a busy road to reach the center of Fort William. The Way passes by the entrance to Ben Nevis if you fancy adding a grueling climb to an already long day! I must admit this was probably the least favorite part of the entire Way (hence no photos!) which many describe as a very anticlimactic end – agreed. Having to walk 2 miles on the pavement with cars rushing by is not the grand finish one would hope for but there you go. To add to the ordeal, as you finally enter Fort William proper you pass by what used to be the official end of the West Highland Way. It has since been relocated further, adding another 15 or so minutes to your walk past shops and restaurants…

Just as we stepped into the historic downtown area, a little drizzle started to fall. To think we had managed to escape the rain for 90% of our trek is just unthinkable and only then did we realize how lucky we’d been. Fort William being one of the wettest locations in the British Isles would not be so kind but a drizzle we could handle.

Our last few hundred feet were accompanied by laughter and a huge sense of relief. We soon bumped into a few other walkers we had met on the trail, merrily downing pints at an outdoor terrace. And just behind them… the real end of the Way at Gordon Square, by the aptly named Sore Feet statue. There was a beautiful local brewery right behind where we literally ran to right after the obligatory pic.

A quick check in to our lovely B&B (Myrtle Bank Guest House – left) and we soon rushed to our dinner reservation at the nearby Lime Tree Restaurant. 15 miles + beers = two starving walkers in need of celebratory calories.

And celebrate we did with a half bottle of champagne and a local, very fine whiskey. As much as we would have wanted to, evenings along the Way were rarely fueled by anything other than a small glass of wine or a beer. the early mornings and long days on the trail discouraging most of us from imbibing freely. That final night though was different – I had no plan for the following day besides chilling in Fort William and resting my legs before the return home so… “Slàinte Mhath“!

Sea trout with mussels, asparagus, peas, broccoli, and a white wine veloute hit all the right spots…

Chocolate mousse dome and Basque cheesecake helped replenish our glucose levels and put enough spring in our steps to make it back to our B&B a few doors down.

And what better way to end this adventure than with a short and scenic walk at sunset along the loch. An incredible 7 days and 95 miles that were over too soon, yet my feet were pretty happy to be out of the hiking boots for a little bit! I owe so many thanks to mother nature for sparing us from the rain and snow and letting us see the Highlands with full visibility. Truly one of the greatest long walks anywhere… strongly recommend all my readers to look up the West Highland Way and start planning!

What a glorious morning – waking up in such a beautiful hotel as the Kingshouse Hotel with some of Scotland’s finest views right from your bedroom window (below), realizing you had completed the hardest day on the trail yesterday, and seeing once again clear blue skies for the day’s short walk!

I must admit the boots were hard to fit back on our achy feet that morning but the pain quickly subsided upon seeing the breakfast room bathed in Highlands light. Everyone was in a similar mood – relaxed, enjoying a leisurely breakfast, in no rush to start the “short” 9 miles to our next and penultimate stop.

We slowly got going around 9am, following yet another section of spectacular Highland scenery.

The great arrowhead mountain Buachaille Etive Mor was in full view, towering above the Way for the first hour of our walk.

It might look like a pretty wild place from this perspective, but we were walking parallel to a very busy road to our left, the A82, which was a stark contrast to yesterday’s totally isolated trek. Trucks, cars, and buses were speeding through the valley retracing our steps backward all the way to Glasgow.

We finally left the side of the road once we reached Altnafeadh with great views of the “weeping glen”. The valley of Glen Coe is famous for its impressive scenery and being the home of Scottish mountaineering, but it’s even more famous for its bloody history. Any fan of Outlanders or other Scottish historical drama will have heard of the Glencoe massacre where the MacDonald clan was exterminated in cold blood by Highland troops to which they have provided hospitality for weeks. No wonder it’s referred to as the bloody tale of deception.

Fittingly, the next stage of our morning walk involved climbing the Devil’s Staircase!

It really wasn’t as ominous as it sounds. A mere 850ft ascent which yes, could feel a bit like a butt kicker after yesterday’s workout but with more than enough rewarding views if you just turned around to look back.

About halfway up you’d get a sense for the name “Devil’s Staircase” given to the engineering zigzags bringing you to the top of the pass.

Two summit cairns marked not only the end of the climb for the highest point on the entire West Highland Way (548m/1797ft) – woohoo! Views north revealed our first sight of Ben Nevis (the UK’s highest mountain) and the Mamores mountain range in front of it.

The 360 panorama was unbelievable and it seemed like the ideal place to stop and take a break. That’s until you had been there admiring the views for about 10 seconds and realized the winds and elevation had dropped the temperature down considerably. It was not a place to linger and we started our long descent on the other side pronto.

It was a pleasant enough walk, zigzagging slowly down the mountainsides, crossing a few streams and meditating while watching the moving shadows of the clouds on the ground…

Soon the mountain path gave way to a steep four-wheel drive track all the way down to the village.

We arrived in Kinlochleven just in time for lunch – this was by far the shortest day! 3.5 – 4hrs at a steady pace and we now had the whole afternoon to ourselves.

Fun fact: Kinlochleven was the site of a huge aluminum smelter in the early 1900s (now closed) powered by a hydro-electric scheme. It made Kinlochleven the first village in the world to have every house connected to electricity and was therefore called “The Electric Village”! Today it’s mostly a jumping off point to all the mountains around, attracting climbers and hikers, and the old smelter now houses the biggest indoor rock and ice climbing wall in Britain.

After lunch at the local pub, we still had hours to chill, buy provisions for the following day, and wander around the village which felt divine.

I had heard of a popular restaurant a 10 minute cab ride away set on the shore of Loch Leven – special penultimate dinner was in order!

The Lochleven Seafood Cafe is also a deli and shop and known to have the freshest seafood around. They catch local shellfish with their own boats and store it in seawater tanks next door – you can’t have more local than this and we tasted it!

Ravenous, we clearly ordered half the menu and regretted not having more room to try the rest – it was that good! From razor clams and oysters to langoustines and mussels, we feasted as the sun was setting over the loch. Even without a view this restaurant would be worth the trek but sitting right on the loch certainly deserves extra points.

Only one more day to go…

We woke up to the sound of our alarms at the crack of dawn – Day 5 had arrived! The longest day on the Way with 19 miles until our next bed was filling us with a large dose of excitement and a tiny bit of dread. I don’t think either of us had ever covered such a distance before in a single day? We had no doubt we could do it but nevertheless took extra precautions aka leaving as early as we could and covering the sensitive parts of our feet in tape!

Our B&B hosts were the absolute warmest and dearest and fed us the most delicious breakfast we would have all week. From muesli to just caught trout and freshly baked scones, we filled our bellies and chatted with the other early risers about the road ahead. The hosts mentioned how just last week they had a snow storm (April is crazy unpredictable indeed!) so we truly felt the nature gods were smiling on us this week. Yes, it was yet another incredibly gorgeous morning….

We made a good start just after 7am under crazy blue skies and quickly crossed the village stream.

The last house in Tyndrum had beautiful wood carved statues lined up along the Way, bidding us adieu and wishing us good luck I’m sure of it.

Once out of the village, the stunning scenery quickly emerged. The invigorating morning air and worn cobbled military road we were following made for a pretty fast stride.

The mountains were surrounding us on all sides, taking varying shades of green as the sun started to rise. Straight ahead was the conical shape of Beinn Dorain (3529 ft) getting increasingly bigger as we followed the valley.

Finally out of the shade, a small stone bridge connected the Way to a wide track we’d follow until the Bridge of Orchy.

It was a peaceful, bucolic morning…

… with the surprise apparition of the Fort William to Glasgow train speeding by in the opposite direction. This West Highland Line is known to be the most scenic rail journey in Scotland, and some even say the world! Next time, I was glad to be walking it. 🙂

Bridge of Orchy

After a few hours we arrived at Bridge of Orchy which consists mainly of a single, imposing hotel, a bunkhouse, a few camping pods and a railway station.

Crossing of the River Orchy on the eponymous bridge only took a few seconds but the views on both sides deserved at least a few minutes to take in.

Looking back at the easy morning walk as the clock hit 10am, we didn’t linger for too long admiring the iconic bridge. The “superb and challenging” next 13-mile stretch lay just ahead of us and it was going up, up, up…

We climbed steadily away from Bridge of Orchy through a plantation to reach a small and scenic ridge.

The gain in elevation and tree clearing gave us glimpses of the vast wilderness beyond.

A small cairn requiring a few extra steps marked the spot for some of the finest views of the entire Way and possibly Scotland.

Such rewards don’t come around often so I took my time to admire the panorama made up of Loch Tulla, Rannoch Moor and the Black Mount.

Black Mount is the name of the mountain range in the background as well as of the impressive Victorian Lodge you can see in the bottom right. Interesting fact – the lodge is owned by the Fleming family, yes of James Bond fame.

A short and very pleasant descent (views like these tend to quiet down your creaking knees and squished toes) slowly brought us down to the valley floor once more.

Inveroran

Unmissable, the stark contrast of the white Inveroran Hotel with the otherwise uninhabited landscape acted like a beacon for the weary walkers.

The tranquil hotel setting by the stream was perfect to break for an early lunch. While the outdoor bar wasn’t open (what?!), we had free use of the picnic tables and most importantly restrooms.

We all knew and had read the notes – this was the last stop for a piece of civilization/shelter/food before we were to venture out into Scotland’s true wilderness for the rest of the afternoon.

Fed and mentally prepared, we embarked on what is arguably the most scenic and wildest section of the West Highland Way. Leaving Inveroran was easy enough along a paved road for a few minutes before the Way joined an old cobbled track.

A fine stone Forest Lodge marked the end of the public road and the beginning of our long and slow ascent.

Into wild moorland – the crossing of Rannoch Moor

We were properly on Black Mount now, a rising high moorland between large mountains to our left and the vast expanse of Rannoch Moor to our right.

We were to follow this track for the next 10 miles across this desolate landscape – the Way’s remotest and wildest landscape. Rannoch Moor is actually the largest uninhabited wilderness in Scotland at 50 square miles. So thankful for the incredible weather since this entire stretch ahead of us was completely exposed with no shelters in case of bad weather (which is usually pretty cruel around these parts!).

For the next few hours we were enthralled by the inspiring, lonely, and true Highland scenery. This entire area was once covered by a giant icecap and is today covered in bog with a few plantations dotted along the way.

Shallow lochs and tiny stream crossings distracted from the seemingly never ending road ahead.

We had to occasionally look back just to make sure we were indeed progressing, and what a sight to behold!

Reaching the stone arch of Ba Bridge meant you were halfway done with your crossing of the moor and could rest a bit with beautiful views all around.

Right after, the trail started rising gradually towards an unknown destination. Would we only see more of the moor beyond or were we nearing the final stretch? Even on such a nice day your head can play tricks on you especially in such wild surroundings.

The ascent had the benefit of giving us an impressive view looking back over the large swath of isolation we had just traversed over the past few hours – quite an achievement!

Way down to Kingshouse

Finally we reached the top of the climb and… more nothingness ahead! Granted there was a busy road we could hear down below with heavy traffic but still no signs of living quarters or any structure whatsoever. Still, the track was finally going down which our sore feet (I could definitely feel a blister or two!) were immensely thankful for.

Straight ahead was the unmissable pyramid of Buachaille Etive Mor – Scotland’s most photographed mountain and a fitting reward for our final descent.

Down on the valley floor, still surrounded by bog, our legs were struggling to keep up the pace even though our isolated hotel for the night was finally in sight. The final 2 miles felt like they would never end. The hotel seemed to appear and disappear like a mirage in a parched landscape and never get any closer…

Just past 4pm and we finally made it! Glorious Kingshouse Hotel looked magnificent from up close and I even caught a sight of a deer just off the parking lot. Time to get those boots off, air the undoubtedly damaged feet, and take a delightful hot shower.

The bar area was the ideal place for a pint of Scottish beer and some well deserved R&R.

Equally stunning views were served alongside dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.

A celebratory meal of estate venison loin followed by a warm treacle sponge made my heart sing – such luxury on a walking holiday!

We all went back out for the final show of the day, thrilled about the full-on day we just had…and the prospect of a lazier morning tomorrow.

Legs a bit sore from yesterday’s rough terrain, we woke up after a good night’s rest (sans apparitions of dismembered clansmen thankfully) at the Drover’s Lodge and crossed the street to enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the atmospheric Inn. Today would be a “relatively short” 12 miles hence enough time to slowly ingest a cooked breakfast in the company of the Inn’s many stuffed creatures.

The morning walk started easy following the beautiful river Falloch.

A few rapids and falls gave us reasons to slow down a bit and take in the scenery (once again bathed in glorious sunshine – are we in Scotland still? What is going on??).

A lone farm marked where we’d cross the river on the smallest of bridges to continue on the Way.

The trail climbed gently on a wide 18th century military road. Out of the forest and river bed, we had the first real views of the day and a good, easy pace on this well maintained track. Nothing like yesterday where you had to watch every step unless you wanted to trip on a tree root or fall down a steep incline. This was relaxing…

Moss-covered stone walls guided us for a while, encircling a farm that appeared to own half the land we laid our eyes on.

It was not a quiet day with the distant traffic noise from the road (A82) running parallel and plenty of sheep grazing the hillsides. Spring babies training their vocals were everywhere and I didn’t mind the distraction, stopping whenever they were close enough to the track to get a dose of cuteness.

More climbing brought us to the edge of a conifer plantation and a viewpoint over the village of Crianlarich. Most importantly, this spot marked the halfway point of the West Highland Way!! We celebrated by taking a 5 minute break and shoveling a chocolate bar before heading up through the plantation.

I was rather enjoying this secluded stretch in the woods which seemed to dampen the ambient noises and cool off our sweaty bodies.

Eventually the track brought us back down to the valley floor and across the main road we’d been avoiding for a while.

One more crossing, that of the River Fillan, and we were back on farmland.

A bit blasé by all the sheep, I marveled at a close encounter with a Highland cow which had been sadly elusive this week.

The Way then went past the ruins of St Fillan’s Priory – a 12th century monastery turned priory by Robert the Bruce, King of Scots in honor of 7th century Irish evangelist St Fillan.

With only a few more miles to go and an easy track, we picked up the pace to make it to our final destination in time for a late lunch and a chance at a restful afternoon.

More river crossings on beautiful stone bridges led us to our first albeit small expanse of moorland. Dried grass and heather contrasted with the deep blue sky. As beautiful as this new scenery was, our legs were getting tired and our grumbling stomachs reminded us we’d perhaps pushed this morning’s walk a bit too long… With no breaks longer than 5 minute over 12 miles, we had officially depleted our energy bank!

Thankfully, 30 minutes later we saw the final line as we reached the shade of the Pine Trees Leisure Park in the outskirts of Tyndrum. We quickly found a picnic table by the stream and devoured our packed lunch with gusto, watching all the other walkers trickle in one by one. Fun fact: Tyndrum is the site of Scotland’s only gold mine which explains why so many people were ankle deep in the water, sifting rocks and sand. The leisure park is known as the perfect spot for gold panning and looks like it attracted many looking to get lucky!

Our relatively quick walk today (a little over 5 hours) meant we had more time to check into our B&B. The long hot shower was followed by a cup of tea and homemade scones made by our hosts which was a delightful surprise. There wasn’t much to do in the tiny village of Tyndrum so we only made it out for an early dinner at The Real Food Cafe.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal of smoked salmon salad and fried haggis bonbons washed with a local cider. Honestly couldn’t have picked a better way to end the day…and prepare for tomorrow’s ass kicker.