UKH

Hello everyone,

I am planning to do a challenge walk this April over the Easter Bank Holiday and have selected the West Highland Way in 4 days.  For context, I managed to do Hadrians Wall in 3 days last year.

I will carry my gear (I use ultralight weight kit), food and water.  I just wanted to check in and see if anyone has any tips, advice, considerations or guidance that they could share?  I have a few pointed questions below:

1) which guide book would people recommend (I usually use Cicerone with the OS Map booklet)

2) is it well sign posted throughout

3) what is the shop situation, I plan to do roughly 25 miles per day

4) what is the camping situation, is their cattle throughout or suitable spots

5) obviously weather is situational, but is it prone to bad weather in that area?! (sorry know this is a odd question)

Thanks in advance, I always turn to this forum for advice so thank you for any input!

Adam.

In reply to waterfall:

It's probably the most popular LDW in Britain so route marking should be good. I haven't done it but I did the Cowal Way last year and that was well waymarked and is a lot less busy. I found a lot of good information on Walkhighlands. I bought the Rucksack Readers guide and they also produce one for the WHW. It was very good and I could have done the route using just it alone but I also carried OS maps as I like to get the wider view of what's around me. I also walked in April - no midges but a lot of ticks everywhere I camped which surprised me.

In reply to waterfall:

2/ My son did the WHW in 5 days a couple of years ago - he didn't report any route finding problems. The bits that I have been on are very obvious.

3/ Shops/Cafes at Tyndrum (about half way), and Kinlochleven. Hotels/Bars at the above, plus Inverarnan, Inveroran, Kingshouse.

4/ Camping on the western shores of Loch Lomond is by permit in authorised locations only. https://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/things-to-do/camping/campingbyelaws/

Other than that, plenty of options for wild camping. Not sure whether Beinglas Campsite at the head of Loch Lomond has permanently closed.

5/ Need you ask - it is the west of Scotland! You might get lucky, but the chances are you will have some wet days, possibly even snow on the higher sections.

Good luck!

In reply to WildAboutWalking:

If you find yourself on the western shore of Loch Lomond, then the answer to question 2 is No - you should go up the eastern side of Loch Lomond

In reply to waterfall:

Well mark throughout and tends to follow valley pathways so tends to stay clear of any bad weather but is open and can be wet, we also did it in four stages and found the loch Lomond stage tiring so would suggest the top path if carrying a large pack.

Plenty of shops and cafes on route we didn't take a pack up on any stages but some of the opening times is late morning and Tyndrum can get booked up in the evening.

Of all the walks we have done its far the busiest and by the loch where the path is narrow can be slower then you might want if doing 25m

In reply to waterfall:

I've biked the part from Crianlarich to Ft Bill and walked 90ish% of the southern part.

None, it's waymarked and very easy to follow. A map or an app will be fine, and lighter.

See above.

Balmaha, Rowardennan, Crianlarich, Tyndrum and then none until Kinlochleven, but there are the Bridge of Orchy, Inveroran and Kingshouse hotels and the Glencoe ski area. 

As said, none in the LLNP but if you must then be discreet and well off the path. There are good spots near the Inveroran and the Kingshouse.

Very, it's the west of Scotland. You may be lucky and get some good weather, it's not unknown.

In reply to steelbru:

Oops! My bad.

In reply to 65:

I don't know offhand the dates and so they may well cover April, but for the benefit of any potential future person reading this thread looking for beta, the camping restrictions around Loch Lomond are seasonal. At any rate, the restricted area only covers day 1; by the second day you'll be north of it (unless that has changed since 2018).

Harvey do a WHW map which is very convenient, and I personally wouldn't bother with any further guidebook. It's virtually impossible to get lost, the route is well-waymarked and very obvious if you've familiarised yourself with the major features of it.

In reply to waterfall:

thanks everyone, that is helpful.

Good advice on the midges, that's one item I will pack for sure. 

Great point on Loch Lomond, I have wild camped there before and we did need a permit and the ranger came in and checked on that.

I'll grab the cicerone book off the internet and report back shops along the way as i will be putting this together anyhow as part of my planning, and it may be helpful for other readers in the future.  Ideally I would like a shop twice a day (morning, afternoon or early evening) so that I can refuel on supplies and in particular water.  As you know, it weights heavy and light is the key!

Still in the research mode so if any others have advice please do share.

thanks,
Adam

In reply to waterfall:

Happy to help. 

Regarding water - there will be plenty coming off the mountains! If you are worried about picking up a stomach bug, water filters are very effective, and weigh next to nothing (my Sawyer Micro Squeeze weighs about 80g in its neoprene pouch, and the thread on it is compatible with mineral water/pop bottles).

Edit - midges - hellish later in the year, but should be no problem at Easter.

In reply to waterfall:

Given the tracks it traverses and 4 days you may find approach shoes rather than walking boots better suit foot comfort for your purposes. 

In reply to waterfall:

You do not need shops twice a day for water, there is no shortage of steams.

Lots of supply points listed above, add Beinglas Farm campsite at Inverarnan.  It is just past Loch Lomond and has a cafe and small shop. If shut the Drover's Inn is just over the bridge.

Have enjoyed coffee at Bridge of Orchy Hotel and food at Inveroran Hotel.  Can wild camp just past Inveroran hotel and there are lots of wild camp spots on Rannoch Moor.

In reply to waterfall:

Take some petty cash as there are plenty of little wooden boxes along the way which locals stock up with home made flapjacks and other welcome goodies, along with an honesty box. I don't know how well stocked they'll be in April if it's still quiet season.

planning to use innovate roclite , they always serve me well

Great point on the water, i do have a filter too

honesty boxes are great, they really helped me on hadrians wall

thansk for those locations too i think they will be handy

In reply to lowersharpnose:

I'm not sure what the situation is with Beinglas. They were posting that they were closing down last year, but the beinglascampsite website now says that they are planning to open for 2023, although no idea when. The campsite is also being advertised for rent as a joint venture! 

https://www.carterjonas.co.uk/property/to-rent/lock-lomond/tau220013

Hope that it continues, it is a great place to stay - despite the midges!

In reply to waterfall:

Four days is a decent challenge walk sort of target. The route is waymarked throughout so you're not going to get lost. The Harvey Map dedicated to the WHW is worth having though.

I don't think you strictly need a guidebook, but these staged route descriptions may be helpful. They start/stop at obvious points, where there's accommodation (and food shops in a few cases); you'll need to run some together if you're aiming to complete the whole thing in 25-mile-ish chunks

Milngavie - Drymen https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=92

Drymen - Rowardennan https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=97

Rowardenan - Inverarnan https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=211

Inverarnan - Bridge of Orchy https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=282

B of O - Kingshouse https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=324

Kingshouse - Kinlochleven https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=25

Kinlochleven - Ft.William https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=526

Four days could go something like:

Milngavie - Rowardennan (groceries in Drymen en route)

Rowardennan - Crianlarich (accom and food shop)

Crianlarich - Kingshouse (passing a shop in Tyndrum on the way) 

Kingshouse - Ft William (shop in Kinlochleven en route)

Discreet zero-impact 'wild' camping is possible most of the way, so you are not tied to the obvious stages listed above. Bring a water filter since you're in a very busy area and there's livestock (two sources of poo-related concerns).

Weather is anyone's guess, could be nice and warm and spring-like, could be more or less full winter, or perhaps most likely a wet and chilly halfway house. Check much nearer the time and be prepared for anything 

In reply to waterfall:

I see others have mentioned the camping management zones peculiar to LLTNP. Here's a map of the areas you're not permitted to camp without a permit from March to September:

https://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Camping-map...

You'll see it only impacts WHW walkers on half of the east shore of Loch Lomond, and in Glen Falloch. The rest of the route has no such issue.