Scotland

6-day West Highland Way itinerary

West Highland Way with one extra night — softer start, long north day still on.

  • 6 Walking days
  • 154 km 95.7 mi On trail
  • 33.5 km 20.8 mi Longest day
  • 5 Nights on trail

Plan this itinerary Compare 5–9 day itineraries

Who this 6-day split is for

  • Fit walkers — one night more than the official five-day, so the first two days stay short.
  • Softer start — Drymen then Rowardennan. The loch stretch is Rowardennan → Inverarnan, not the 5-day’s Balmaha → Inverarnan.
  • Not a first long trail — start on the 7-day if this is your first multi-day walk.
  • Walking days — some operators sell “6 days / 5 nights”; they count travel and mean our 5-day. This page is six days on trail.

Coloured days match the stage list below.

Most people walk this way

Milngavie to Fort William

South to north, starting near Glasgow. On-trail distances from our geometry — the walk from the path to the door is not included.

6-day stages, Milngavie to Fort William
Day Stage Distance Overnight
Day 1 Milngavie → Drymen 19.3 km · 12.0 mi The Drymen Inn (opens in a new tab)
Day 2 Drymen → Rowardennan 23.8 km · 14.8 mi Rowardennan Hotel (opens in a new tab)
Day 3 Rowardennan → Inverarnan 22.3 km · 13.9 mi The Drovers Inn (opens in a new tab)
Day 4 Inverarnan → Bridge of Orchy 30.2 km · 18.8 mi Bridge of Orchy Hotel (opens in a new tab)
Day 5 Longest Bridge of Orchy → Kinlochleven 33.5 km · 20.8 mi Tailrace Inn (opens in a new tab)
Day 6 Kinlochleven → Fort William 24.2 km · 15.0 mi West Highland Way Finish

  1. Day 1

    Milngavie to Drymen

    5–6 h 19.3 km · 12.0 mi ↑ 320 m · 1,050 ft ↓ 300 m · 1,000 ft

    A gentle warm-up on footpaths, tracks, and lanes. Mugdock Country Park and a string of small lochs ease you out of the Glasgow fringe. Drymen is just off the Way — most people leave the path for the night and a shop.

    Overnight The Drymen Inn (opens in a new tab)

  2. Day 2

    Drymen to Rowardennan

    7–8 h 23.8 km · 14.8 mi ↑ 770 m · 2,550 ft ↓ 810 m · 2,650 ft

    Conic Hill is the first proper climb, then the east shore of Loch Lomond. Balmaha is the natural lunch. The afternoon along the loch is longer than it looks — save something for Rowardennan.

    Overnight Rowardennan Hotel (opens in a new tab)

  3. Day 3

    Rowardennan to Inverarnan

    6–7 h 22.3 km · 13.9 mi ↑ 740 m · 2,450 ft ↓ 750 m · 2,450 ft

    The hardest walking day for most people. The east shore north of Rowardennan is boulder and root; miles take longer than the map. Inversnaid Hotel is the halfway pause. Beinglas or the Drovers after you leave the loch.

    Overnight The Drovers Inn (opens in a new tab)

  4. Day 4

    Inverarnan to Bridge of Orchy

    8–9 h 30.2 km · 18.8 mi ↑ 750 m · 2,450 ft ↓ 600 m · 1,950 ft

    Loch behind you, then the Tyndrum corridor without stopping the night. Lunch in Tyndrum (shop, cafés), then the old road to Bridge of Orchy. A long day if you treated the morning as easy.

    Overnight Bridge of Orchy Hotel (opens in a new tab)

  5. Day 5 Longest

    Bridge of Orchy to Kinlochleven

    9–10 h 33.5 km · 20.8 mi ↑ 930 m · 3,050 ft ↓ 1,070 m · 3,500 ft

    Rannoch Moor and the Devil’s Staircase in one day. Inveroran and Kingshouse are pauses, not nights. The staircase is the Way’s high point — short, steep, and a long drop into Kinlochleven. Start early.

    Overnight Tailrace Inn (opens in a new tab)

  6. Day 6

    Kinlochleven to Fort William

    7–8 h 24.2 km · 15.0 mi ↑ 710 m · 2,350 ft ↓ 710 m · 2,350 ft

    A long last day on the Lairig Mor — forest climb, then the old military road under the Mamores. Ben Nevis comes into view before the town. The walking day ends at the finish statue, not a Glen Nevis hotel. Train or bus the same afternoon if you want; stay if you want slack or the Ben.

    Overnight West Highland Way Finish

Cross-check: official suggested itineraries . Their six-day table (WHW2) uses Inversnaid and Crianlarich. This split is the official five-day with the first day broken at Drymen and Rowardennan. Distances are from our trail geometry, not their mile table.

Opposite direction

Fort William to Milngavie

Same days, starting in the Highlands. Most first-timers use the cards above. The last walking day ends at the Milngavie obelisk.

6-day stages, Fort William to Milngavie
Day Stage Distance Overnight
Day 1 Fort William → Kinlochleven 24.2 km · 15.0 mi Tailrace Inn (opens in a new tab)
Day 2 Longest Kinlochleven → Bridge of Orchy 33.5 km · 20.8 mi Bridge of Orchy Hotel (opens in a new tab)
Day 3 Bridge of Orchy → Inverarnan 30.2 km · 18.8 mi The Drovers Inn (opens in a new tab)
Day 4 Inverarnan → Rowardennan 22.3 km · 13.9 mi Rowardennan Hotel (opens in a new tab)
Day 5 Rowardennan → Drymen 23.8 km · 14.8 mi The Drymen Inn (opens in a new tab)
Day 6 Drymen → Milngavie 19.3 km · 12.0 mi Milngavie

  1. Day 1

    Fort William to Kinlochleven

    7–8 h 24.2 km · 15.0 mi ↑ 710 m · 2,350 ft ↓ 710 m · 2,350 ft

    Day one from Fort William is the Lairig Mor the other way. The statue is behind you by mid-morning; the climb toward the Mamores is the work. Kinlochleven is a full village night — easier to land in than Kingshouse.

    Overnight Tailrace Inn (opens in a new tab)

  2. Day 2 Longest

    Kinlochleven to Bridge of Orchy

    10–11 h 33.5 km · 20.8 mi ↑ 1,070 m · 3,500 ft ↓ 930 m · 3,050 ft

    The climb out of Kinlochleven is the hard hour, then down the staircase and across the moor. You will meet most people coming the other way. Bridge of Orchy is a quiet night after a big day.

    Overnight Bridge of Orchy Hotel (opens in a new tab)

  3. Day 3

    Bridge of Orchy to Inverarnan

    8–9 h 30.2 km · 18.8 mi ↑ 600 m · 1,950 ft ↓ 750 m · 2,450 ft

    Old road to Tyndrum for lunch, then down the glen to the loch-head inns. You skip a Tyndrum night — book the Drovers or Beinglas early. The last hour is gentler than the morning.

    Overnight The Drovers Inn (opens in a new tab)

  4. Day 4

    Inverarnan to Rowardennan

    6–7 h 22.3 km · 13.9 mi ↑ 750 m · 2,450 ft ↓ 740 m · 2,450 ft

    Same north-shore rock, walking south. Inversnaid is still the middle. Progress is slow either way — this is not the day to chase a bus. Rowardennan is a quiet loch-foot night.

    Overnight Rowardennan Hotel (opens in a new tab)

  5. Day 5

    Rowardennan to Drymen

    7–8 h 23.8 km · 14.8 mi ↑ 810 m · 2,650 ft ↓ 770 m · 2,550 ft

    Loch shore first, then Conic Hill as a climb toward Drymen. Balmaha is still the lunch stop. The hill is steeper this way in the morning; the forestry tracks after it are a relief.

    Overnight The Drymen Inn (opens in a new tab)

  6. Day 6

    Drymen to Milngavie

    5–6 h 19.3 km · 12.0 mi ↑ 300 m · 1,000 ft ↓ 320 m · 1,050 ft

    The last miles into Milngavie are the softest on the trail — parkland and suburb after the hills. Finish at the obelisk in the town centre; the train to Glasgow is a few minutes’ walk.

    Overnight Milngavie

Plan Fort William to Milngavie

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