The Route – Train Journeys & Hikes

If you wish you can explore Glasgow before you board your West Highland Line train into the Highlands. The train soon leaves Glasgow behind and delves deep into the wild west coast travelling along the Clyde to Helensburgh, and then north via Garelochead and Loch Long. From there, you pass into a world of deep forests, towering mountains and mirrored lochs as you enter the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park.

At Ardlui you leave the train to cross the waters of Loch Lomond by ferry and before exploring the Highlands on foot as you follow sections of Scotland’s finest long-distance trail, the West Highland Way. At Crianlarich you look up at the legendary peaks of Ben More, Stob Binnein and Cruach Àrdrain before you follow the old Military Roads through Strathfillan with the remains of its monastery. Near Tyndrum you pass the location of the Battle of Dalrigh and the legendary Lochan of the Lost Sword.

From Tyndrum you can take a day-trip on the Oban Line where the train sweeps along the north edge of Loch Awe, in the shadow of Ben Cruachan. Look out for Kilchurn Castle and the frothing rapids at the Falls of Lora near Connell, before the train makes its way into Oban. The picturesque, bustling port is the gateway to the Isles and known as the Seafood Capital of Scotland.

Back on the West Highland Way you continue north from Tyndrum where the trail enters more remote landscapes and passes underneath the towering peaks Beinn Odhar and Beinn Dorain. At Bridge of Orchy, you have the opportunity to follow the West Highland Way for a few more miles as you pass over the heights of Mam Carraigh into Glen Orchy. Follow the shores of Loch Tulla and the River Orchy back to the railway line.

Journey by train across the picture-perfect Highlands and the remote wilds of Rannoch Moor where you pass the UK’s highest altitude train station in Corrour. Here the tracks float over the peat bog that stretches to the mountains far in the distance on all sides.

A final hike along the Great Glen Way and the bank of the Caledonian Canal brings you into Fort William, the outdoor capital of Scotland, nestled underneath the bulk of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain.

From Fort William you follow the Mallaig line over the iconic curve of the Glenfinnan Viaduct, probably the most famous piece of rail track in the world after it was used by the Harry Potter films as part of the route to Hogwarts. The route to Mallaig takes you past Lochs Eilt, Ailort and Nan Uamh – all starkly beautiful – before arriving at Morar’s sandy shores. The final stretch into Mallaig brings glimpses of the Isle of Skye, which is just a short ferry trip from the port.

Note: To avoid disappointment, we do not book our walkers onto the Jacobite Steam Train for the journey from Fort William to Mallaig. Our decision is based on ensuring the best experience for our customers, as unfortunately, the Jacobite Steam Train is often fully booked months in advance and can cancel reservations at short notice due to maintenance. However, the regular train follows the exact same beautifully scenic route and offers an equally enchanting and impressive experience! If you’d still like to book the Jacobite Steam Train, you are welcome to do so and you can keep our regular train booking as a backup.

Terrain Overview

The part of the West Highland Way you are walking consists for the most part of easy walking on smooth paths and tracks in forests and hillside paths. The trail makes use of some ancient and historic routes of communication, such as military roads, disused railway tracks and drovers’ roads.

The route avoids the high tops and is within the capabilities of most walkers. Total aggregate ascent over the 44km (27 miles) from Ardlui (Ardleish) to Bridge of orchy (including the Loch Tulla loop walk) is approximately 1,350m. There are a number shorter climbs and two slightly steeper sections at Crianlarich and Bridge of Orchy. The highest point on the route is below Kirk Craig, just outside Crianlarich.

The level hike on the Great Glen Way from Gairlochy, near Spean Bridge, to Fort William is on a gravel path beside the Caledonian Canal (a former ‘canal towpath’) as far as Banavie (Neptune’s Staircase).  From there it follows quiet roads into Fort William.

Elevation Profile (West Highland Way from Ardlui to Bridge of Orchy)

Take a break from all that train travel and hiking!

Fort William: Booking an extra night in Fort William is a very popular choice among hikers! Not only is the bustling Highland town, located on the eastern shore of Loch Linnhe, known as the ‘Outdoor Capital of the UK’ it is also the gateway to Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest peak at 1,344m (4,409ft), and access point to the Glen Nevis Valley, home to Steall Falls. The surrounding area is also popular with climbers, skiers and snowboarders.

Whether you spend your time hiking the UK’s largest peak* or exploring the outstanding natural beauty of the Glen Nevis Valley, some additional time spent in Fort William is not to be missed!

Staying at the very best accommodation during your time in Scotland can transform a “good” hiking tour into a “great” hiking tour.

That’s why, at Hillwalk Tours, we take the quality of our accommodation partners seriously. So much so that you will find we strive to only work with high-quality and well-reviewed accommodation. Additionally, most of our accommodation partners have been personally checked by a member of the Hillwalk Tours team to ensure your comfort.

As keen hikers ourselves we know you’ll want somewhere relaxing to put your feet up in the evening. A place where a warm smile from your hosts makes you feel welcome as soon as you step through the door. If your hiking gear gets wet, it’s nice to know that you can dry it or, if you ask, it may even be taken from you and returned nice and dry the next morning.

Comfy beds, en-suite bathrooms (where available), tasty breakfast menus, and a friendly & cosy atmosphere – these are all the things that we like so you can rest assured that we’ll do our best to find them for you as well.

To find out more about the types of accommodation you can expect to find on a Hillwalk Tours walking holiday, read here: Accommodation on your Walking Tour

In addition, if you’d like to stay an extra night at any location during your hiking tour, just let us know.

Getting to and from your West Highland Line: Train & Hike tour is easy… when you know how!

In your hiking pack, you will receive all the necessary public transport information you need to make your journey as convenient as possible.

In the meantime, if you’d like to do some advance planning yourself, here are our tips:

Departing from Fort William or Mallaig after your Hiking Tour:

Use train or private bus services to Glasgow

Travelling by car?

If you would like to leave your car at the first or last accommodation on your tour, for the duration of the tour, then you can directly contact the accommodation owners before the start of your tour to check that this is possible. We will provide contact details for the accommodation provider.