For our summer adventure this year, my husband and I had a few requirements:
- Interesting hikes
- No extreme heat
- Accessible by public transportation – no thank you to driving on the other side of the road
- Great food
We got all this, and more, hiking The West Highland Way in Scotland.
Hikes or Walks?
Scots like to nickname things and are modest, calling hikes ‘walks.’ They are definitely hikes. You can hike on the coasts and islands of Scotland, but we concentrated on the West Highland Way, which runs 96 miles from just outside Glasgow to the Scottish Highlands.
What makes it so appealing and popular is that you can jump in for a few days here or there, using trains and buses, and hotels and restaurants that cater to hikers. There are luggage transports from hotel to hotel. We used Travel-Lite Baggage Transfer. You can also take a guided tour.
SheBuysTravel Tip: We had 2 medium and 2 small bags – consolidating to 2 large, or 3 medium, would have saved us a lot of money on the luggage transfer fee.
The Warm Up
If you’ve seen the Netflix Series, One Day, there’s a memorable scene where the hungover romantic lead climbs Arthur’s Seat. Although this truly wee hike takes only about 2 hours round-trip, attempting this with a raging headache and without a bottle of water isn’t advisable.
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When to Hike Arthur’s Seat
Early morning is the best time, unless it’s already actively raining. We had planned an afternoon hike, after visiting the nearby Holyrood Palace, but it was pouring by then. The next morning, we skipped breakfast and went straight to Arthur’s Seat. This was our only blue sky during a hike the whole trip.
Our hotel, Market Street Hotel, was across the street from Waverly train station, and around the corner from the AirLink bus to Edinburgh Airport.
Train to the West Highland Way
We hopped on a ScotRail train from Edinburgh to Glasgow, then another train to Crianlarich. The small town has a few hotels, all catering to hikers, and walking distance to the train station and the West Highland Way.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Download the directions to WHW; the signs are hidden. When we reversed directions in front of a house, the owner came out and pointed out the tiny sign we had missed.
Best Western The Crianlarich Hotel
The best way to start your West Highland Way adventure is to spend the night in Crianlarich. We chose the Best Western The Crianlarich Hotel, which was filled with hikers.
We carboloaded at dinner with goat cheese pizza and excellent local beer (dinner not included). At breakfast (included) I had the vegan breakfast: vegan haggis, vegan sausage, potato scone, a grilled portobello mushroom, spinach, beaked beans and tomato; my husband’s vegetarian breakfast included an egg instead of the vegan haggis. The Full Scottish breakfast includes sausage, bacon, haggis and eggs. The defibrillator is optional.
West Highland Way, Crianlorich to Bridge of Orchy
This 13 mile hike was so quiet, we saw more animals than people hiking. (To be clear, the animals were grazing, not hiking). We hiked through a forest, past farms, over streams and through rolling hills.
This hike had a small village, Tyndrum, for a lunch stop. Lunch was very basic, and overpriced, but it did give us a chance to dry out a little.
Bridge of Orchy on the West Highland Way
This hike passed no small towns, not even wee ones. We had to have food and water for the long day. The hike took about 7 seven hours, with lunch and other rest stops. But bathrooms? As they say, what happens on the West Highland Way stays on the West Highland Way.
We bought bread, cheese, and fruit; the Bridge of Orchy Hotel also offered a packed lunch for an extra fee.
Bridge of Orchy Hotel
The hotel had a lively bar scene, where we had Scotch, naturally, before dinner. The restaurant was much nicer than the one in Crianlarich, with a tasty beet salad and warming cauliflower soup. Breakfast had yogurt, fruit and toast, plus entrees like eggs, porridge, pancakes and full Scottish breakfasts, vegetarian or meaty.
The hotel was literally ON the West Highland Way – no possibility of a wrong turn.
Kingshouse Hotel – Last Day of the West Highland Way
The Kingshouse Hotel was the fanciest spot on the West Highland Way, with fireplaces in the lobby where you could warm up and dry out after your wee hike. There is also a bunkhouse, with shared bathrooms, but we had a comfy hotel room with our own tub, king sized bed, and no outdoor trek to our room. There is a lovely, but expensive, restaurant, plus a lower priced pub.
Devil’s Staircase
This was our only out and back hike, up the Devil’s Staircase, and back. If we had been up for a longer hike, we could have hiked 15 miles to the next town, but since we had had two long hikes in a row, and this one had more challenging terrain, we kept it to 10 miles. Still not a walk in the park!
Wee Mountain Hiking in Pitlorchy
Our last full day in Scotland was in Pitlorchy, where we planned to hike Ben Vrackie Mountain. Unfortunately, it was raining the entire day, and we had been advised to avoid the hike in the rain. Fortunately, we found many other hikes.
We hiked an 8-mile trail around a lake and a 3-mile hike with a waterfall.
Vegans Gone Wild
We spent the night at Saorsa 1875 – Plant-based Hotel. This is a great place for vegetarians, vegans, or people with certain allergies. The luxurious bedding includes no down or wool, toiletries are sustainable and locally made, and EV charging is available. And the hotel is dog-friendly!
Incredible Plant-Based Food
The food deserves high praise. The chef cooked at Noma, and uses local, seasonal and foraged produce. Our two-course breakfast (included) had choices of porridge, chia pudding, or homemade granola with coconut yogurt, followed by homemade sourdough with smashed peas, baked beans on bread, or lavender pancakes with banana/coconut compote. It was all delicious. If you were still hungry, there was fruit and toast.
Saorsa 1875’s Restaurant
Dinner was spectacular. We had the three-course meal, which you can reserve from 5-6 pm. After that, it’s a five-course prix fixe. This was our best meal in Scotland, hands down.
We started with a beet tartare with miso, chervil and edible flowers. The main course, celeriac with cider beurre blanc, sage and hispi cabbage had us moaning with delight. Dessert highlighted local strawberries, in a granité with shortbread and hibiscus.
Packing List for Hiking Adventures in Scotland
- Raincoat AND poncho
- Waterproof pants
- Waterproof hiking boots
- Wool socks
- 2 water bottles per person, minimum
- Day pack to fit snacks, water bottles, raingear
- Hand sanitizer
- Tissues/toilet paper and small baggies
Glasgow
The AC Hotel by Marriott Glasgow is 2 blocks from the train station, and less than 10 minutes from the bus station, so perfect for those hitting the trains by public transportation.
For your next grand or wee adventure, the West Highland Way is the way to go.
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