Wee West Highland Way
Wee West Highland Way

Your walk from
Crianlarich to
Fort William

You'll walk 80 kilometres through the western Highlands, taken along old military roads and drovers' tracks rather than peaks, with Rannoch Moor to cross, the Buachaille Etive Mor on your right, and the Devil's Staircase to climb. A route that picks up the West Highland Way at its most dramatic and walks you into Fort William.

Distance
80 km · 50 mi
Ascent
1,750 m
Duration
2–4 days
Trips from £329pp See packages →
From — per person
Plan your trip

Three ways to walk it

Pick one to see the full plan — or scroll for the trail in detail.

The Explorer

4 days · unhurried pace
From £—

The Classic

3 days · most booked
From £—

The Challenge

2 days · demanding pace
From £—

Prefer to talk it through? Call us on 0131 560 2740

Scotland UK
Trail Essentials
Start
CrianlarichPerthshire
End
Fort WilliamLochaber
Distance
80 km50 miles
Total Ascent
1,750 m5,741 ft
Difficulty
Moderate
Hilliness
Hilly
Time to Complete
Explorer
4 days ~20 km/day
Hiker
3 days ~26 km/day
Fastpacker
2 days ~40 km/day
Trail Runner
2 days ~40 km/day

When to Walk

Best Good Avoid
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

visiting from the US

A lot of the people on this trail have flown a long way to be here, and the trail is one part of a longer trip.

We store the luggage you don't want on the walk, move what you need ahead of you each day, and shape the days around what else you've planned.

How we look after US visitors
The Wee West Highland Way runs 50 miles from Crianlarich, on the southern edge of the Highlands, to Fort William and the foot of Ben Nevis — up Glen Fillan past the ruined priory at Strathfillan, across Rannoch Moor, over the Devil's Staircase at 550 metres, and through the Lairig Mor valley to the coast. It picks up the West Highland Way at its second half, where the country opens out and the famous miles begin: the Buachaille on your right, the Mamores ahead, the moor underfoot. Three or four days of walking at the dramatic end of the WHW, without the lowland approach to walk first.
Walking the Wee West Highland Way

How The Trail Unfolds

Your trail divides naturally into three parts — not by day, but by country. You climb Glen Fillan past old drove roads and Highland railway; you cross Rannoch Moor and over the Devil's Staircase; and from Kinlochleven, you walk a long remote valley to Fort William.

Up Glen Fillan
Crianlarich to Bridge of Orchy

Up Glen Fillan

Glen Fillan opens out as you climb away from the railway, with old drovers' country underfoot and Beinn Dorain growing on the horizon.

Your opening stretch climbs out of Crianlarich on the old military road, through Sitka spruce until the trees thin and Ben More shows itself on your right. You cross the River Fillan past the ruined priory at Strathfillan and walk the West Highland Railway through the valley — under it, alongside it, the line your only company for long stretches. Through Tyndrum, past the site of the 1306 Battle of Dalrigh, you enter Glen Fillan proper, with Beinn Dorain rising on the horizon. The day ends at the 1751 stone bridge and the Bridge of Orchy Hotel.

Rannoch and the Staircase
Bridge of Orchy to Kinlochleven

Rannoch and the Staircase

The trail's biggest country: peat moor, the Buachaille rising on your right, and the Devil's Staircase to climb out at the end.

This is the trail's biggest country. From Bridge of Orchy you climb to Mam Carraigh and onto the old drovers' road across Rannoch Moor — peat, lochans, heather, the Black Mount to your west. The Buachaille Etive Mor rises ahead long before you reach it. Past the Kingshouse Hotel the path turns under the Buachaille and up the Devil's Staircase, a zigzagging climb to 550 metres cut by 18th-century soldiers who left their opinion of the work in the name. The descent to Kinlochleven is long; the village, when it comes, is welcome.

The Lairig Mor
Kinlochleven to Fort William

The Lairig Mor

A long, remote valley to walk through, with the Mamores above and Ben Nevis growing closer with every mile.

You leave Kinlochleven by a steep climb out of the village, then drop into the Lairig Mor — a long, broad valley walked on the old military road, the Mamores ridge to your right, the Aonach Eagach away to your left. You pass the ruins of Tigh-na-sleubhaich, cross streams, walk forest tracks, and after the Iron Age fort at Dun Deardail enter Nevis Forest. Ben Nevis is on the skyline now. The trail descends through Glen Nevis and into Fort William, where the Sore Feet statue in Gordon Square marks the end of the West Highland Way.

— Now Make It Yours —

Find Your Wee West Highland Way

Most people walk it in 3 days. Some want longer to take it all in. Others want the challenge of doing it quicker. Pick the trip that suits you — or customise yours below.

ABTOT 5690 · Financially protected Guidebook authors on every trail 72-hour confirmation or no charge Refund promise if we can't deliver
Your personalised Trail Book — trip overview, day by day itinerary and accommodation details

Included with every trip

Your personalised
Trail Book

Everything you need for every day of your trail — built around your exact itinerary. Your route, your accommodation, your packing list. Ready before you leave, works offline when you're out there.

Tonight's accommodation

Check-in time, room type, phone number and directions — all in one place

Day-by-day trail description

Route map, elevation profile and written description for each stage

Packing list and pre-trip checklist

Everything you need, nothing you don't. Tick items off as you go

Works offline

Open it once with data and it's yours — no signal needed on the trail

Included with every trip

Your route on every device you use

Your custom GPX file is built around your exact itinerary — day by day, door to door. Load it onto any device or app before you set off and navigate with confidence.

Works with

GPX route on Komoot iPhone app and Garmin watch
Jennifer’s First Big Trail: The West Highland Way

Hear it from the trail

Jennifer Stevens

Jennifer Stevens had never walked a long-distance trail when she shouldered an 18-kilogram pack and set off alone into the Scottish Highlands. What she found on the West Highland Way was something no video had prepared her for.

“If you're able to, add an extra day. Allow room for the unexpected.”
Read Jennifer’s story →
Craig, Trail Specialist at Big Trail Adventures
Talk to a Specialist

Knows the trail. Plans yours.

Craig Trail Specialist
The Wee West Highland Way is what I usually point people to when they want the famous half of the WHW without the four days of Loch Lomond first. Three days at the dramatic end. Just don't underestimate the descent off the staircase — it's longer than it looks.

Craig has walked the West Highland Way and knows where the Devil's Staircase descent feels longer than its map distance, which Kinlochleven beds are worth holding out for, and where Rannoch Moor catches walkers off guard for weather. He's spent ten years in adventure travel; this one he can talk you through from his own boots.

Ask Craig about the Wee West Highland Way

If you want to talk through your timing, your fitness, your pace, or anything the planner can't answer — call. Most of our customers do, and Craig's the one who'll answer.

Call us · 8am–6pm 0131 560 2740 hello@bigtrailadventures.com
The Practical Side

Before You Book

The things walkers ask us most often — answered plainly, so you don't have to ring to find out.

How fit do I need to be?
At Hiker pace you'll walk around 27 kilometres a day across three days, with the Devil's Staircase climb and a long final stage to Fort William — firm but not extreme. You'll want to be comfortable on your feet for 7–8 hours and able to walk a steady-paced day with a small daypack. If 27km feels heavy, the Explorer pace adds a day and brings the average to 20 kilometres.

When should I walk it?
May to September is the realistic window. June is often the sweet spot — long days, snow off the Devil's Staircase, midges still mostly absent. July and August are the busiest months and the worst for midges, especially around dawn and dusk on Rannoch Moor. September brings cooler, clearer days and quieter trails. Outside those months expect closed accommodation, snow on the higher ground, and short daylight hours.

Do you include luggage transfer?
Yes. Each morning we move your main bag to the next night's accommodation; you walk with a daypack only. Allowance is one bag per person, up to 20 kilograms. Transfer covers all four overnight stops on the standard Hiker itinerary, including the remote Kingshouse Hotel and Kinlochleven. The only stretches where you carry everything are short — moving between accommodations on rest days, if you've added them.

What kind of accommodation do you book?
Mostly family-run B&Bs and traditional Highland inns — the kind of places that have been hosting walkers for decades. The Bridge of Orchy Hotel, Kingshouse Hotel and MacDonald Hotel in Kinlochleven are recurring choices, all with breakfast, drying rooms and en-suite rooms. The route is short enough that we can usually keep you in well-graded inns rather than hostels or bunkhouses, though you can downgrade for budget if preferred.

Can I walk it solo?
Yes — solo walkers are common on the West Highland Way. The route is well-signed throughout and you'll never be far from other walkers, especially in summer. We book single rooms with single-occupancy supplements where applicable, hold contact details for each accommodation, and can route you through villages with mobile signal at the right intervals. The Lairig Mor valley is the only stretch where you're likely to walk for an hour without seeing anyone.

What's the realistic total cost?
Our Hiker package starts from £329 per person, which covers accommodation, breakfasts, daily luggage transfer, and a custom plan with door-to-door travel notes. On top of that, expect to budget £20–£30 a day for lunches and an evening meal at most stops — pubs and inns rather than fine dining. Travel to Crianlarich and back from Fort William is by train (the West Highland Line) and runs roughly £40–£70 each way from Glasgow.

Still not sure? Ring us on 0131 560 2740 — Craig usually answers.

Still Thinking?

Speak to Craig

If you've scrolled this far, we need to help you get onto this trail. The bit the planner can't help with — "is the pace right for me?", "is August really that busy?", "can we add a rest day in Keswick?" — that's a two-minute phone call. Most people who book the Wee West Highland Way ring first.

Call us · 8am–6pm 0131 560 2740