Robert Burns
“Wherever I wander,
wherever I rove,
The hills of the Highlands
forever I love”
The West Highland Way is a 95-mile route and one of the most historic paths in the UK. It attracts people from all over the world as it slowly heads north from Glasgow (Milngavie) to Fort William along a former cattle path.


Starting in the outskirts of a major city to conclude in the misty mountains of the Highlands is a wonderful transition through scenery, culture and history.
From a manageable opening stint, it skirts alongside the Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond. The first 40 miles were a solo venture and I bit off enough to make chewing an energy-sapping endeavour..
Days 3-6, our team of three, having finally co-located in Tyndrum, headed deeper into the Highlands. All being St Andrews graduates, our bias towards Scotland was present and this venture heightened that fondness. The eerie silence of deep mist in a shady Glen is as joyous as clear blue skies and purple hue overlooking Glencoe: two sides of a highly appreciated coin.


As ever, a highlight of this kind of trip is the people: teammates and beyond. We laughed and sang the ‘Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond‘…a lot. We fled from the orchestrated and demonic midgie attacks. We hugged as we reached our endpoint – the Sore Feet statue in Fort William – and could toast to our journey as we sampled the local beers.
As for unexpected encounters… we saw the full spectrum. Canadian ultra runners, kilt-clad Highlanders, Yorkshire climbers, German organists, Dutch students, Belgian families, South African travellers, German backpackers and everything in between. A particular highlight has to be a Glaswegian football fan explaining to an American teacher the ingredients of Black Pudding – an enlightening and disconcerting revelation.
The West Highland Way is an awesome journey from the Lowlands of Scotland to the Highlands. An achievable, rewarding and highly enjoyable venture I would highly recommend to anyone that wants to get outside, challenge themselves and see the UK at its best.


VIDEO
Have a watch of my video below to get a better idea of this wonderful journey. Scotland is a truly beautiful place and this was the best way I could convey that.