Where To Stay On The West Highland Way




It's coming up for a year since I last walked the West Highland Way, it certainly doesn't feel like it. Of all the posts I made last July, this one had stayed in draft form. A post I was meant to get around to months ago, well better late than never. 
Below I have included some places to stay on the West Highland Way, as always I'll try to include places to suit a range of budgets. this isn't an exhaustive list and doesn't include options like Air BnB. I have stayed at some of these places on this list but i have not been paid by any of the campsites or hotels for my opinion (unfortunately) 

The Start


Milngavie



Glasgow has far and away the largest choice of accommodation to choose from. Milngavie is only a 40 minute train ride from Glasgow, however if you wanted a place to stay before starting your walk then there are a few places to stay.

 Premier Inn budget hotel room, well kind of. 
Best Foot Forward is a B and B which caters specifically for walkers. they have a range of accommodation from a quad room to twin and double rooms.  At the time of writing this they are currently not taking any bookings for the rest of 2019. 


 Ardoch B&B 6 miles outside Milngavie is Ardoch B&B that offer super king sized bedrooms in a countryside location. A bus or taxi will be needed to get to the start of the West Highland Way

10 Miles 


Drymen


Drymen Camping Situated on the way, just outside Drymen is this campsite. This is a good place to stay over, not only for campers but they also provide other accommodation to stay in the form of a Kacoon, a 2 person cabin. More can be found out by following the link to their website. Prices here start at £7
Kip at the Kirk The 2 simple guestrooms, 1 with an en suite bathroom and 1 with a private bathroom, feature traditional decor and furnishings. A basic 8-person room offers bunk beds, a shared closet and 2 shared bathrooms. All rooms include WiFi.Prices here start about £30 per night


 The Drymen Inn Whether you are after some food or a place to stay, the Drymen Inn has everything you need including a good nights rest. Prices here for a night will start about £100 per night.

20 Miles

 

Balmaha



On the West Highland Way you don't simply enter Balmaha like you would any other small village, or rather you seem to stumble into it from the back of it. The place is situated at the foot of Conic hill and the first sight you'll see is a car park and visitors centre ( pen to about 4pm) There are places to stay here, however if you are looking to camp you will still need to walk a further 2.5 miles to Milarochy Bay 

Milarrochy Bay simple but effective accommodation on the shore of Loch Lomond. Prices start at £7. 22 miles in on West Highland Way
Balmaha bunkhouse Also offers B&B and self catering accommodation. The bunkhouse can fit 14 people from £25 per night. Breakfast is included and for an additional £4.50 they can make a pack lunch as well. 20 miles in on the West Highland Way
Oak Tree Inn This place can't be missed, even if it is for a bite to eat before heading to the campsite or the bunkhouse. They also have room and pods on offer to stay for the night from £85

26 Miles


Loch Lomond 

Loch Lomond wild camp


There are a couple of options on the banks of Loch Lomond. The national park has started to allow wild camping, with a permit. The site is located at  The permit costs only £3 per night, however there is only enough space for 3 tents. in short book in advance.  
Another option is to stay at a traditional Scottish bothy. There are two on the West Highland Way the first of which is a couple of miles outside of Inversnaid. 29 miles in on West Highland Way.
Bothy just outside Inversnaid

32 Miles 

Inversnaid 


The walk from Balmaha to Beinglas farm can be tough going and this place has a couple of options to stay if you fancy resting up for the night. 32 miles in on West Highland Way
Inversnaid Bunkhouse We stayed here back in 2004 when it had just first opened and even then the place was amazing. it has a range of accommodation from a 42 person bunkhouse to self catering lets, you can even just camp in the grounds for a small fee. Prices start at £34 for a bed.
Inversnaid Hotel By far the biggest establishment in this little hamlet. A 3 star hotel with fine food on offer. Will come at a price of about £110 per night. 
Inversnaid hotel from the WHW


40 Miles

Bothy 2 miles outside Beinglas Farm

Beinglas Farm


Read the sign!

Situated 40 miles into the West Highland way this campsite comes as welcome refuge after a day of hard walking along the shore of Loch Lomond. This campsite has plenty of room for camping meaning you don't have to book ahead. The cost per night is reasonable at £8 and it has its own bar and food on site. if you want to spend a little more then you can hire a chalet. I would highly recommend staying here for the people you'll meet and the friendly staff on site. One of the best things about this campsite is that it is around the corner from the Drovers Inn, a ye olde Scottish pub that MUST be visited on your journey. 
The Drovers


54 Miles

Tyndrum


Tyndrum during last years hot weather
Tyndrum is one of the bigger places to spend the night at on the West Highland Way. Outside of Tyndrum there is the Strathfillan Wigwams starting at £16. The West Highland Way cuts through this campsite so it is an ideal place to stop. At the back of the small town is the By the Way Campsite and like Strathfillan it is located on the west highland way. This campsite offers a range of accommodation, from camping starting at £8 to staying in a hostel or glamping hut. Check out their website for more information. 

A more expensive option is the Tyndrum Inn, a comfortable nights rest - at a price. 

60 Miles

Bridge of Orchy


Bridge of Orchy Hotel from the wild campsite

Years ago the hotel at this site used to have a bunkhouse that was affordable, unfortunately that is now gone and some fancy, more expensive pods are in its place. Unless you have serious money, the place most people will be staying at Bridge of Orchy will be the wild campsite, this located over the bridge next to the river. The campsite is at the 60 mile mark on the WHW. This site can be popular in the summer months, if you can manage a couple of more miles, there is another wild campsite at Inverarnan - just over a small hill!

62 Miles

Inverarnan


 62 miles in on the West Highland Way. Without making this a repeat of the section above, I'll keep it brief. 
1. Inverarnan is a hotel, can be expensive to stay for a night. 
2. Free wild campsite located over the other side of the bridge nest to the river.
3. Not a popular as Bridge of Orchy so may be a good place to stay.

70 Miles

Glencoe

Glencoe Ski Resort car park
At mile 70 of the Way there is a small campsite at Glencoe ski resort. There is also more expensive hobbit huts. There is a decent wash block and drying area as well as a full restaurant/bar with phone charging facilities. 

72 Miles 

Kingshouse

Kingshouse during renovation work. 

 At mile 72 the famous Kinghouse comes into view, even bigger since it has been refurbished. Permit me to copy and paste a previous part of this blog to explain.
1. Inverarnan Kingshouse is a hotel, can be expensive to stay for a night. 
2. Free wild campsite located over the other side of the bridge next to the river.
3. Very popular so may be best to get here early to ensure to get a pitch.
4. There is a bunkhouse but best to book a place in advance. 

80 Miles

Kinlochleven

Kinlochleven from a distance.


Mile 80 and your almost there. You can't go wrong with the Blackwater Campsite and hostel. Prices start at £8.  We had made a mess of our booking last year for the hostel but the staff very very kind and sorted us out. Great campsite and toilet block. Again camping should be fine to turn up without pre-booking but booking is essential if you want to stay in the hostel. 
The Tailrace Inn is another option and is a good place to go for food and drink. If money is no option then the MacDonald Hotel for you. the hotel offers a range of accommodation from camping to cabins and a bunkhouse. It also has a great bar. Get some tennis in while your at it. I'm not going to even look this up but I bet it has a spa, leave a comment if I'm wrong.

The End

Fort William


I'm lazy so I'm posting a link to another blog article about where to stay on the Great Glen Way, this explains best places to stay in Fort William. 

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