Help out a clueless Canadian?

[Kerkeslin]

Hi folks, this is my first post on these forums, so I hope you will bear with me if I ask something that's already been asked more than a few times. I'm Canadian and will be visiting family in Europe/UK in the fall, and am hoping to walk the WHW in mid-September. I'm planning on including a couple of nights of camping, in Rowardennan and King House, to keep costs down (and because it's fun!). I've done lots of camping and hiking in the Rockies here but have only done a bit of walking in the UK and no camping, so I'm hoping people familiar with the area can help me out with a few questions:

1. Wild camping: I'm assuming this is similar to what we call random camping over here, i.e., you find a hopefully flat and dry spot, ideally not in someone's garden, and you camp there. Is that the case? If so, besides the Scottish Outdoors Access Code, are there any regulations or etiquette I should be aware of? I'm familiar with "leave no trace" principles, less so with the rules around land access in the UK.

2. I understand the hotel at Kinghouse is closed indefinitely at this point, but is there still anywhere to get food/drink in the area? Will I need to be prepared to fend for myself or bus into Glencoe?

3. Water: is there potable water along the full route, or should I buy some treatment tabs? I'm mostly concerned about that last leg between Kinghouse and Fort William, it looks very remote.

4. Weather: I know it's always variable, but can anyone give me a sense of what I might expect for nighttime lows in mid-September? Should I be prepared for hard frosts, or is it likely to be milder?

5. Baggage transfer services: these don't exist here so they're a totally foreign concept, but they sound like a good way to reduce the load across all those miles. Are these services compatible with wild camping? And are there any ins and outs that I should be aware of?

Beyond that, I'm open to any advice you'd give to a first timer. I've heard lots about the midges and will come prepared, but otherwise, I'm all ears! Thanks in advance!

[Caberfeidh]

Hi and welcome, Canuck. You have picked a good time of year (usually) as September often has nice weather, with balmy autumnal days and slightly frosty nights - just enough to kill off the biting insects. Sounds like you have it sussed on the access/camping thing. Keep away from people's homes and property or they may disapprove. Bury toilet waste and carry out rubbish, you know the score. Kingshouse Hotel is dead, unfortunately, but up the hill from there is the ski cafe/bar which stays open through the summer and has a small campsite with camping pods too which you may wish to resort to if the weather turns lousy. http://www.glencoemountain.co.uk/accommodation/
There are pubs which do meals at Clachaig and Glen Coe Village, further into the Glen (about ten miles down the road - hitch hike there). Water is generally ok, better to get water from small fast-flowing streams coming down steep slopes rather than the main river.
September frosts are usually mild, just dress well for it and you'll be fine. A three season sleeping bag should be good enough.
Baggage transfer sounds a bit pansy if you're camping; you don't need to carry a week's worth of food and heaps of kit.
My advice would be - take three pais of thick, padded, knee-length socks.The kind with extra padding around the heels, toes and soles. The path is very stoney and hard on the feet. Stop frequently and indulge in the old Scottish hillwalkers' habit of taking off your boots and socks and bathing your hot feet in the burns that come foaming down the hillsides. Bring a sunhat in case it's sunny, and a warm hat in case it's cold. Leather work gloves are good to stop the hands getting cold in the wind. Chapstick to protect your lips from drying out, packets of paper handkies instead of a roll of toilet paper, and a small thermos flask so you can fill it while you're camped and have hot drinks through the night and when on the move, without having all the bother of getting the stove out and boiling water each time.

Weather approaching across Rannoch Moor

Rainstorm sweeping across Rannoch Moor.

Blackrock Cottage, Rannoch Moor. Buchaille Etive Mor in the background.

Camping at Kingshouse

[EllyM]

I'm going to ever so slightly disagree with Caberfeidh on the water thing - along a lot of the West Highland Way there is a great deal of human activity, much of it by people with very little other experience of the outdoors. Accordingly, while I'm usually pretty blase about water (because in Scotland most of it is good to drink), I would be inclined to treat water along the WHW. Treatment tabs are so cheap and light that you may as well have them with you, then if you decide they aren't necessary, so be it.

[Arthurs Eat]

There is a company called Travelite who do baggage transfers for about £50. They will drop your kit off anywhere along the way you specify. This is usually at hotels, B&B and campsites Most hotels etc will allow them to drop your kit and you pick up if. Included is the offer to carry a tent too. If you wish to go down the baggage transfer route.

[Scottk]

Hi,
Bear in mind there is no camping along Loch Lomond at the time you are travelling. The specific area is marked on the Loch Lomond website.
The Glencoe Mountain Resort is pretty good but if you decide to camp there, you will need coins for the showers. Good atmosphere in the bar.
There is plenty of water between Kingshouse and FW. There is a large hydro on the way into Kinlochleven so loads of water. The Ice Factor at Kinlochleven is a good place for a bite to eat and coffee. Also there's a fish and chip shop just across the road. The stage from Kinlochleven to FW had lots of little streams but I found a really good one with a good flow and was just about to fill my bottle when I noticed used toilet paper on the banks. That is the kind of stupidity or ignorance you are dealing with. I got some water further along but you do need to be aware.
I walked it last September and had great weather walking in a t shirt most of the way. The only issue is that the nights are getting shorter at that time. Dusk is around 8pm.
If I was going to do the walk with my wife, I would be tempted to use a baggage transfer. Think the rate quoted is for a 20kg bag. I was happy carrying my gear but saw a lot of people with massive bags who didn't look like they were enjoying it. Passed one guy who was hobbling and he told me his bag was 50lbs while mine was about half that.
Good luck, Scott

[bootsandpaddles]

Bear in mind there is no camping along Loch Lomond at the time you are travelling. The specific area is marked on the Loch Lomond website.

This is not true. There is an area where wild camping is not permitted but there are several campsites along the east side of Loch Lomomd which vary from commercial sites with full facilities to managed sites with few or no facilities which are bookable in advance. See http://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/things-to-do/camping/

[Arthurs Eat]

There are also a couple of bothies along the way too. I don't think you get a bag drop there though!

[Kerkeslin]

Super helpful responses, thanks everyone! Thanks for the reminder about camping around Rowardennan, I'd forgotten about that. From what I've seen, it looks like the closest campground to the town is Sallochy. Does anyone know of any campgrounds north of the town? I'd like to add as little extra mileage as possible to The Dread Day 3, but that's looking unlikely at this point.

One other question: I'm thinking of doing the trip from London and the first leg of the walk in a single day. That first leg looks pretty easy, and if I take an early train I should reach Milngavie by around 12:30-1:30; I figure if I set out from there with fresh legs I should be able to make Drymen by 7:00-8:00 at the latest. Any reason this might be a bad idea? Is it pretty safe to assume the trains will likely run on time?

[Scottk]

That time of year the trains should be fine. There's a campsite just before Drymen which is basic but perfectly good. Has a shed with toilet, shower and sinks. Also a couple of picnic benches. It's basically a part of a field and a farm shed. Payment is an honesty box and costs £5.
I stopped there as I didn't start until 5pm but the next day a few miles past Drymen I noticed a couple of nice wild camping spots after you climb the hill through the woods.

[bootsandpaddles]

Super helpful responses, thanks everyone! Thanks for the reminder about camping around Rowardennan, I'd forgotten about that. From what I've seen, it looks like the closest campground to the town is Sallochy. Does anyone know of any campgrounds north of the town? I'd like to add as little extra mileage as possible to The Dread Day 3, but that's looking unlikely at this point.

One other question: I'm thinking of doing the trip from London and the first leg of the walk in a single day. That first leg looks pretty easy, and if I take an early train I should reach Milngavie by around 12:30-1:30; I figure if I set out from there with fresh legs I should be able to make Drymen by 7:00-8:00 at the latest. Any reason this might be a bad idea? Is it pretty safe to assume the trains will likely run on time?

I think it is important to point out that Rowardennan is not a town. If you are expecting shops and other facilities you will be disappointed. There is a hotel, a few houses, some cabins and a hostel but nothing else. Not far north of Rowardennan you leave the camping management zone and can wild camp. Nice spots are rather limited though until you have gone some distance.

[Old Stag]

About 45 minutes walk north from Rowardennan take the lower WHW path (recently restored) and there are some great camping pitches down by the loch-side.

[china88]

I would suggest you camp at Bainglass campsite Inverarnan[ and try and aim for a week-end https://www.beinglascampsite.co.uk/

Then make you way to the Drovers Inn turn left at bottom of camp site road and its about 200 yards on your left

https://www.droversinn.co.uk/ live music of a week end ---we have always had a great night there

[Kerkeslin]

Thanks everybody. Just to be clear, I'm only planning on two nights camping, and have booked accommodation for the rest. I've thought about doing more but given that the weather is so unpredictable, I want to be able to properly dry out if needed! And inn-to-inn hiking isn't something we have here, so it's sort of a feature of the walk for me.

Good to know the camping options around Rowardennan. So it's not really a town, but is there a restaurant? Maybe in the super expensive inn?

[nigheandonn]

Usual pub meals - as far as I can remember the food was quite good but the beer was rubbish.