by AspiringHiker » Sat Oct 30, 2021 12:59 pm
I've done several official long-distance trails including WHW and Glen Affric. You are right that southern end of WHW is a bit boring, but the route along Loch Lomond is actually quite nice. There is a fork in the route around Rowardennan if memory serves. There you can continue on the track or drop down a bit to stony footpath which is much more fun to walk. However, WHW is not a good as Glen Affric way.
I know the first stage of Glen Affric has a reputation for road walking, but it's actually not true anymore. The trail volunteers have recently made a diversion which cuts road walking to about 30min which itself is actually verge walking, rather than road. However, this also relies on improvised diversion via Corrimony. Where you are supposed to go on the road at White Bridge, you instead go to chambered cairn and along farm track to Millness Cottage. There you walk for a bit on the verge and the newly opened section of the route starts just after Millness. Past Cannich the route is wonderful with great views and fairly interesting terrain underfoot.
However, of the official routes I've done I would recommend Arran first, Glen Affric second. Arran is often overlooked for some reason. It's actually very easy to get to: one hour train from Glasgow plus frequent ferry. As a bonus, if you don't have a car, the ferry doesn't care which sailing you take. The route is very diverse: mountainous north, hilly south, beach walking, and boulder hopping. The route is very lightly used and feels very remote despite physical proximity of small villages. Like Glen Affric, it has reputation for road walking, but you can skip the worst bit using local busses.