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West Highland Way help

West Highland Way help


Postby LeeCook1690 » Thu Mar 15, 2018 7:30 pm

Evening,

Taking on the West Highland Way in late April over 7 days. It's my first long distance walk and I'm camping the whole way. I've put together a basic itinerary, I just wondered if this could be improved upon or if anybody would make any changes as I want to get this right. Any advice is much appreciated.

24th April Day 1
Milngavie – Garadbhan Forest.

25th April Day 2
Garadbhan Forest – Sallochy bay campsite.

26th April Day 3
Sallochy bay – Beinglas Farm campsite.

27th April Day 4
Beinglas Farm – By The Way Hostel. Roughly 12 miles.

28th April Day 5
By The Way Hostel – Kings House Hotel.

29th April Day 6
Kings House Hotel – Kinlochleven (Blackwater Hostel)

30th April Day 7
Kinlochleven (Blackwater Hostel) – Glen Nevis Camping and Caravan Park.
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Re: West Highland Way help

Postby Boris_the_Bold » Thu Mar 15, 2018 11:32 pm

Are you sure the Kings House Hotel will have re-opened by late April?
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Re: West Highland Way help

Postby Scottk » Fri Mar 16, 2018 10:23 am

Don't think Kingshouse will be open this year. Stay at the Glencoe Mountain resort. About £6 for camping but you need £1 coins for showers. Good bar too!
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Re: West Highland Way help

Postby LeeCook1690 » Fri Mar 16, 2018 11:59 am

I was under the impression I could just camp around the back for free, even if the hotel itself isnt open? If this isnt an option I'll have to take another look into that section.
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Re: West Highland Way help

Postby nick70 » Fri Mar 16, 2018 12:28 pm

Lee, I will be doing it later this month so will be able to confirm about Kingshouse.

My take on it however is this, the Bunkhouse is definitely shut. I’m not sure about cafe/restaurant. I would imagine this is part of the bunkhouse so I feel this will also be shut.

There is the forest round the back and the space by the bridge/river. I cannot see how there will be any restrictions on being able to camp in these areas. Again if everything is shut then who will stop you?

Your route is very similar to mine that I took last year. When I get a further opportunity I will I’ll post another few pointers for you.

Nick
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Re: West Highland Way help

Postby rgf101 » Fri Mar 16, 2018 12:31 pm

The problem isn’t that it’s closed, it’s that it’s a building site and might not make the most scenic spot. Plus, if you want facilities you’ll need to be at the ski centre.
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Re: West Highland Way help

Postby Giant Stoneater » Fri Mar 16, 2018 1:04 pm

Bunkhouse will open in 2019,you can camp over the bridge opposite the hotel you just wont have any facilities.

https://independenthostels.co.uk/members/kingshousebunkhouse/
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Re: West Highland Way help

Postby crfishwick » Fri Mar 16, 2018 2:21 pm

LeeCook1690 wrote:I was under the impression I could just camp around the back for free, even if the hotel itself isnt open? If this isnt an option I'll have to take another look into that section.


Correct just over the river and/or anywhere there is flat spot in the vicinity that is not in the Kinghouse grounds.
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Re: West Highland Way help

Postby nick70 » Sat Mar 17, 2018 12:14 am

Giant Stoneater and rgf101 are correct. There shouldn't be any problems camping there. It is highly unlikely that there will be any facilities though.
Do you have the Harvey's map Lee? This lists all the designated wild camp areas on it?
As regards your schedule, how many are in your group? When I done it last year I wild camped in Garadbhan forest, however this is right at end of it, basically at foot of Conic Hill. I never noticed anywhere else suitable, and especially not for a group of one or more tents. However maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough.
The area that I wild camped at in Garadbhan is roughly about 16-17 miles in. If you like for an alternative on your first day you can camp at Drymen Campsite (11 miles in). Facilities are really basic, but it does have showers, toilets, sink, and a covered seating area. It costs £5 a night and you just leave money in honesty box. From here you are about 1 mile into Drymen if you need to replenish any supplies, go for something to eat, or visit pub for a pint.
This will then make your second day into Salloch roughly about same distance as your first day. As far as I can remember I don't think Sallochy has many facilities (I may be mistaken however). There are 2 other campsites just before it, Millarochy and Cashel, both of these have excellent facilities and a shop each.
Your third day will be tough, but still achievable. The stretch north of Inversnaid is tough, however Beinglas Farm is an excellent camp site with excellent facilities, shop and an excellent restaurant/bar.
Your fourth day I take it you are aiming for Tyndrum? If you feel fit you can carry on by Tyndrum until Bridge of Orchy (a further 6 miles), here there is a hotel where you can get a meal and a drink, there is also an area to wild camp over the bridge by river. Inverornan which is again a few miles by Bridge of Orchy is another wild camp area.
As one of the other posters has stated, instead of Kingshouse you can stay at Glencoe, this has facilities.
Kinlochleven has Blackwater Hostel, this has excellent facilities and an excellent drying room, if any of your gear is wet. There is also McDonald Hotel in Kinlochleven.
If you want any further info feel free to ask away or pm if you like.
Above all else enjoy your walk, I'm sure you will love it. The good thing about WHW is there are so many plans en route, that plans can easily be changed or deviated from.

All the best.

Nick
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Re: West Highland Way help

Postby Guinessman » Sat Mar 17, 2018 10:37 am

I'm doing the WHW from next Thursday 22nd March. It's been 22 yrs since I last did so quite looking forward to it although it's looks as though the weather might be poor. My plan is train up to Milngavie on the first day and walk to Easter Drumquhassle campsite. Day2 is a walk to Rowchoich bothy about 18 miles. Day3 walk to Crianlarich YH. Day 4 walk to Inveroran ( camping ). Day 5 walk to Kinlochleven,camping, bunkhouse or hotel. Day 6 walk to FW,booked into a hostel.
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Re: West Highland Way help

Postby LeeCook1690 » Sat Mar 17, 2018 2:46 pm

Thanks for the advice guys, there are just the two of us doing the walk, I may possibly swerve kings house now as I dont want to be waking upto the view and noise of a building site. I'll take onboard all advice and i'm sure my plans will change before now and April. Thanks Nick for the detailed info, I'll look into getting a harveys map. Keep me posted on how your walk goes. :thumbup:
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Re: West Highland Way help

Postby crfishwick » Sun Mar 18, 2018 11:02 am

LeeCook1690 wrote:Thanks for the advice guys, there are just the two of us doing the walk, I may possibly swerve kings house now as I dont want to be waking upto the view and noise of a building site. I'll take onboard all advice and i'm sure my plans will change before now and April. Thanks Nick for the detailed info, I'll look into getting a harveys map. Keep me posted on how your walk goes. :thumbup:


if just two of you wild camping should be no problem anywhere along the WHW. Except L Lomond & Tross area.
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Re: West Highland Way help

Postby LeeCook1690 » Mon Mar 19, 2018 12:39 am

Brilliant, really looking forward to it.
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Re: West Highland Way help

Postby abbruce » Tue Mar 20, 2018 1:24 pm

Put this together for friends that did WHW last year. Hope it helps

Milngavie – Drymen
Beech Tree inn, Dumgoyne – decent pub serving food & snacks. Service isn’t great
Drymen – Rowardenan
When the path flattens at the top of Conic Hill, take the short path on the left to go to the top. Only a very short way up to get wonderful views down the small islands on Loch Lomond that make up the start of the Highland Boundary Fault.
Balmaha has a good pub (Oak Tree Inn) & a very good coffee shop (Mocha) a couple of doors up. Both are very good, wi-fi is better in the coffee shop.
Rowerdenan Hotel has a decent bar serving food.
Rowerdenan – Inverarnan
Inversnaid Hotel – Walkers welcome in the bar. Serves good soup & sandwiches, bar meals etc. Expect the bar to be full of OAP’s from a coach trip, as that’s the hotels main business.
Once you leave the shore of Loch Lomond & towards the end of your day, you’ll go up the side of a small hill. At the top, there’s a large metal gate on your left. Well worth going over/through this to get an unrestricted view right down Loch Lomond.
You’ll pass Bienglas Farm, a campsite with a small shop & bar. The Drovers is a small detour & situated on the main A82. Well worth going down as food is excellent, as is the craic.
Inverarnan to Tyndrum
Once you go through the forest & cross the main road, you go across flat farmland & reach Auchertyre Farm which has a small shop serving coffee & basic home bake type food. There are a few seats outside as well as WC’s. Only around an hour from Tyndrum.
Tyndrum has the Green Welly Shop for any supplies you need. The garage shop is well stocked also. Tyndrum Inn is a good pub selling food, the chippy (Real Food Café) is also very good.
Tyndrum – Kingshouse
Bridge of Orchy is around 6 miles away & has a decent bar in the hotel. After around another hour you’ll reach Inveroran Hotel which has a small bar selling very good soup & sandwiches. As you come down the hill to Inveroran, look for a large house on the other side of the loch. This was the home of the Flemings & is the house that was rebuilt in film studios for the Bond film Skyfall.
At the end of Rannoch Moor, take the short detour to Glencoe Mountain ski centre which has an excellent café.
Kingshouse – Kinlochleven
There’s nowhere to stop for food at all, but it’s a short day. When you arrive in Kinlochleven, you pass the Ice Factor which has a café. The Tailrace Inn pub is across the road, but its average at best. The McDonald Hotel at the far end of the village is excellent for food.
Kinlochleven to Ft William Again, nowhere to stop for food, but Kinlochleven has a Co-op, so buy from here before setting off. Grog & Gruel is the best pub in Ft William & only around 300 yards back from the end of the WHW. Their pizzas are brilliant.
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Re: West Highland Way help

Postby Scottk » Tue Mar 20, 2018 11:02 pm

The chip shop in Kinlochleven is good too.
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